Peach Beach

Peach Beach is the second race course of the Mushroom Cup in Mario Kart: Double Dash!! It is Princess Peach's personal race track. The beach is reminiscent of Gelato Beach and other areas from Super Mario Sunshine.

The race course starts out at a cobbled street that looks like Delfino Plaza. When entering the beach in a Ricco Harbor-like area, the Daisy Cruiser can be seen in the background (though the cruise line ship is missing if the game is played via split-screen mode in Mario Kart: Double Dash!!), as well as the Sunshine docked in the harbor. Also, the Pianta Statue fountain is replaced by a huge Power Star in Split-screen mode. While racing on the beach, wandering Cataquacks of four different colors charge at the racer if they go near them. The final stretch takes place on a path similar to those at Bianco Hills, and if the player turns left into the square where the fountain is right before the finish line, they find Item Boxes before a sharp turn back to the course. The Award Ceremony at the end of every cup in Mario Kart: Double Dash!! is carried out here.

Course layout
The racers first begin on the stoned straight road. A blue Pianta and a Noki can be seen waving from the sidelines. After turning to the right of the first corner, the player can go to the left to find a ramp with Dash Panels and get an item box there. If the player takes an early left they will be shot out of a pipe and receive a double item box. However, this pipe does not appear in Mario Kart Wii. After jumping over the ramp, the racer lands on a small piece of land with a palm tree and grass surrounded by water. If the tide is high, the water greatly slows down the vehicle crossing this zone. However, if the tide is low, the player can travel across without problems. Computer-controlled players never take this path. The darker patches of water represent deeper areas that act like pits.

On the right path, Cataquacks appear roaming in the shore, but only in Grand Prix and VS races. They flip any vehicle in the air by contact and also take away some items on hand. While there is high tide, racers must follow the curved path, but by using a speed power-up, it is possible to take a shortcut over the water. During the low tide, racers can cut the path going straight to the next turn.

Racers then turn to the right below a pink natural arch where a set of item boxes lie in. After the arch, a pair of Cataquacks appear wandering another piece of the shore that leads to the right at the end.

After turning right, the beach ends in the cobbled road that leads straight to the finish line. Just before the line, there is another set of moving item boxes sliding left and right plus an alternate way to the left of the road that surrounds the fountain with a pair of item boxes behind. This way, however, is not a shortcut.

Appearance in Mario Kart Wii
Peach Beach returns in Mario Kart Wii as the first course of the Shell Cup, where it has received a few changes. Hammer Bros., Toads, Goombas, and Shy Guys can be seen on the deck of The Sunshine cheering (only in single player mode), and there are more umbrellas over the spectators on land. The biggest difference is that the pipe with the double items in Mario Kart: Double Dash!! is no longer present in Mario Kart Wii. Another difference is the boost ramp and item boxes in the area behind the colored crates at the end of the dock. The Cataquacks still appear, only the blue one wandering around the first tidal area was replaced with another green one. They also appear in Time Trials, though they do not target the player. There are also more Piantas in the audience, and the course's map has been changed. Computer players may also now take the left path of the beach.

Tournaments
In Mario Kart Wii, two different tournaments took place on this course.

The first one required players to collect a total of 70 coins, which were scattered around the beach. It was the first tournament of July 2009, and it was later repeated as the first tournament of June 2011.

The second tournament required players to do a time trial race around a bunch of Mushroom Gorge mushrooms. That was the first tournament of April 2010. It was later repeated as the second tournament of October 2011, as well as being the first tournament of January 2013 and second tournament of March 2014.

Mario Kart: Double Dash!!

 * Instruction booklet bio: "Princess Peach’s favorite beach resort! Beware the Cataquacks wandering about the shoreline. The course changes with the tide, so watch the waterline for your chance at a big shortcut."
 * North American website bio: "This ain’t no day at the beach, so stay out of the water. Peach Beach does not have many corners, but the Cataquacks on the beach are worth avoiding."
 * European website bio: "Take a spin around Isle Delfino, from Super Mario Sunshine. And see if you can spot the Daisy Cruiser circuit in the background."

Mario Kart Wii

 * North American website bio: "No more pipe launch near the start, but a new boost ramp leads into the old shortcut after the first turn."
 * European website bio: "You won't have much time to admire the ocean view as you tear across the sand and the cobbled streets of Peach Beach. Oh, and watch out for the changing tide!"
 * Prima Guide bio: "There may not be a hidden green pipe anymore, but this Double Dash track is deceptively simple. After a roar down the cobblestone straight, there's a long curve onto the beach (or a dash panel ramp off a concrete pier), and a choice of paths via an island ramp or a beach where Cataquacks roam. Remember that the tide comes in on the second lap! Once you're through the pink arch, there's a second smaller beach before a final sharp corner, and race to the finish!"

Sponsors

 * Delfino Fruits (Trackside banners)
 * Mario Kart (Trackside banners)
 * Mario Racing (Posters)
 * Peach Grand Prix (Posters)
 * Princess Daisy (Logos)
 * Sunshine (Logos)

Trivia

 * Cataquacks are able to walk through the water in Mario Kart: Double Dash!! and Mario Kart Wii. However, they disappear if they touch it in Super Mario Sunshine and Super Mario Galaxy.
 * The title of the course, "Peach Beach", is the first race course in Mario Kart that has a rhyming name.
 * A Bus with a "Peach Beach" logo and a license plate reading "SUN" appears in Mushroom Bridge and Mushroom City, though in both tracks, the "Peach Beach" buses are not present if played in split-screen mode, unless Mushroom Bridge is played in Versus mode with no items on.
 * The Peach Kart from the game Nintendogs plays the Peach Beach theme when used.
 * According to the Mario Kart Wii Prima Guide, Toad practiced on Peach Beach.
 * The song from this course is featured in the Nintendo Sound Selection Vol.3: B-Side Music soundtrack, the only song from Mario Kart: Double Dash!! to be included.

Peach Beach Spiaggia di Peach