Airship Fortress

Airship Fortress
Information
Appearance(s)	Mario Kart DS (2005) Mario Kart 7 (2011)
Cup(s) it appears in	Star Cup (MKDS) Lightning Cup (MK7)
Based on	Airship
Staff Ghost	2:07:748 by Ninten★シュン (MKDS) (Bowser in the Hurricane) 2:23.323 by Nin★OBSHNN (MK7) (Metal Mario with the Zucchini, Slick Tires, & Super Glider)
Expert Staff Ghost	2:07.704 by Ret★Shane (MK7) (Metal Mario with the Standard Kart, Standard Tires, & Super Glider)
Wi-Fi	Was never available (Nintendo DS) Available (Nintendo 3DS)
Music Mario Kart DS Mario Kart 7
Course map Mario Kart DS Mario Kart 7

Airship Fortress is the fourth and final course of the Star Cup in Mario Kart DS. The course takes place both on a floating fortress in disrepair and on an airship. The course is inspired by the environment of boss levels seen in Super Mario Bros. 3 and Super Mario World. Other airships can be seen flying away in the sky.

The most notable feature in the course is the Pipe Cannon that shoots racers out to the fortress through the air. Furthermore, the track includes obstacles such as Bullet Bills, Rocky Wrenches and more. Missions 6-2 and 7-7 take place in this course.

Course layout

The track icon

The track starts with a straightaway, where a barrage of Bullet Bills are shot from a Pipe Cannon of the airship and causes players to flip over. Passing this section of the track, players turn left with a right turn shortly after and get a boost by running over a Dash Panel, entering the deck of the airship.

On the deck of the ship, racers must dodge Rocky Wrenches that pop out from their trenches, hitting racers who drive over them. Proceeding inside the airship, players take a tight left turn and reach the cellar where some crates are spread throughout the room that may contain a Mushroom or a Banana Peel if they break the crate. The next room to follow includes burners moving side to side that causes players to spin out if they touch the fire.

Players exit the airship by being launched by the airship's Pipe Cannon with a dash panel, similar to DK Mountain, aimed at a hole in the fortress tower. Following the corkscrew inside the tower, there's one last turn to finish the race. Just before the last turn, players can knock other racers off the course.

Missions

In mission 6-2 the player has to hit 15 Rocky Wrenches using Stars. The player has 30 seconds to complete it, but once the Star runs out, the player has to get another Star from the Item Box. Stars always appear every time the player breaks one.

In mission 7-7 the player must collect 12 coins in reverse while avoiding the Burners. If they get burned, they fail the mission.

Mario Kart 7

The course in Mario Kart 7

The track returns as the third track in the Lightning Cup in Mario Kart 7.

Immediately following the starting line, both drop-offs can be used to perform a trick and gain a small boost. As well, the Bullet Bills have become Banzai Bills, and are now shot out at faster intervals. The interior of the airship has some minor changes. The room with the Rocket Engines now has a fence floor with lava under it, and the Rocky Wrenches now make sounds. Hitting a Banzai Bill has the similar effect as getting blown up by a Spiny Shell or being hit by a Bullet Bill, causing the player to tumble and roll over sideways.

Launching out of the Pipe Cannon now encompasses a gliding pad. Players cannot aim their flight and they are also no longer immune to items while in the Pipe Cannon, and being hit by anything (or intentionally stowing their glider) results in having to be rescued by Lakitu.

Gallery

DS appearance

• 

  Rocky Wrench section

• 

  The Crate room

• 

  Peach being shot away by the Pipe Cannon

3DS appearance

• 

  Bowser starts the race with a Rocket Start

• 

  Luigi and Bowser race on the track

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  Metal Mario, at Airship Fortress

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  Metal Mario approaching a Rocky Wrench

• 

  Bowser approaching the Pipe Cannon

Official descriptions

• European website: "Bowser should be right at home in these ships in the sky. Race across the decks of these floating wrecks, get blasted from cannons and dodge oncoming missile fire, as you fight to stay in one piece long enough to take the pole position."

Names in other languages

Language	Name	Meaning
Japanese	キラーシップ Kirā Shippu	Bullet Bill Ship
Spanish	Fortaleza Aérea	Air Fortress
French	Bateau Volant	Flying Ship
Dutch	Vliegende Vesting	Flying Fortress
German	Fliegende Festung	Flying Fortress
Italian	Fortezza Volante	Flying Fortress
Portuguese	Fortaleza Voadora	Flying Fortress
Russian	Воздушная крепость Vozdushnaya krepost	Air Fortress
Korean	킬러 해적선 Killeo Haejeokseon	Bullet Bill Pirate Ship
Chinese	砲彈刺客飛船 (Traditional) Pàodàn Cìkè Fēichuán 弹头杀手飞船 (Simplified) Dàntóu Shāshǒu Fēichuán	Bullet Bill Airship