Bowser's Castle (race course)

Bowser Castle is one of the common race courses found in the Mario Kart series. The course takes place on the castle of Bowser and surroundings, usually featuring hazards as lava pits, Thwomps, fireballs and tight turns. In recent Mario Kart games, Bowser Castle is the penultimate course before Rainbow Road in Special Cup. In Super Mario Kart and Mario Kart: Super Circuit, however, there had been multiple versions of them, very much like Mario Circuit.

Super Mario Kart

 * For more info, see Bowser Castle 1, 2 and 3.

In Super Mario Kart, three Bowser Castle courses appeared in the Mushroom, Flower and Star cups. The stages had the same appearance and features such as lava pits and Thwomps. The later Bowser Castles have more obstacles and turns than the first Bowser Castles.

Mario Kart 64
In Mario Kart 64, the course has a lot of Thwomps that block drivers from preceding to further areas. If the player gets crushed by a Thwomp or drives into the cage holding Marty, the green Thwomp, an eerie laugh can be heard. It will crush them into the ground, making Lakitu get them in the only way out of the cage. In further corridors there are pictures of Bowser and large stone statues that shoot flames from their mouths, but they are harmless. At the end of the track racers will race on the roof of the castle. On the last lap, or when the player gets too close to the Bowser statue at the start of the track, Bowser's famed laugh plays.

This course reappears as the fourth and last course of the Lightning Cup in Mario Kart Wii. Notorious changes have been remade for such console. In this version, lava columns spring out from the pits to cause the drivers to bowl over, specially when racers attempt to jump. The green Thwomp now is just one of the new Thwomps, and is not significant. It is also impossible to go in the cage. If the player gets too close the Thwomp will get angry-looking. The flame-shooting statues are still harmless. Bowser's laugh is still heard on entry on the final lap, or when the player gets too close to the Bowser statue at the start of the track.

Mario Kart: Super Circuit

 * For more info on the Mario Kart: Super Circuit courses, see Bowser Castles 1, 2, 3 and 4.

Mario Kart: Double Dash!!
Racers start out outside of the castle and enter through a large doorway shaped like Bowser. As they precede through the hallway, Thwomps will try to spin them out or squish them. Racers will then travel over a pit of lava and through a circular room filled with Podoboos. During the final stretch of the course a statue of Bowser will shoot fireballs at oncoming cars. If the player has any trouble, Bowser's famed laugh will emit.

Course Layout
The race starts in a quite straight dirt road that leads into the castle, past a drawbridge and into an opening that is shaped like Bowser. The player can then see that the path splits, but it results in two identical paths that also have the same obstacles: Thwomps. Past that, where the path meets again, is a 90 degree turn to the left with leads into another straight path with Thwomps. In 2-screen mode, the Thwomps in this lane are absent. After the Thwomps, there is another turn left that leads into a room with lava on the ground.

In the room with the lava on the floor, the player drives over a chain link bridge with a square in between. Falling off the chain link bridge results in falling in the lava. After the chain link bridge is a ramp with boost panels in it. Past the ramp is a long curve that spirals upwards into a nearly complete circle. Succeeding the curve is another circular room, this time with fire balls that orbit a pillar in the center. The player can see portraits of Bowser Jr. on the walls of this room.

Past the circular room is a short path that turns to the left in a 90 degree angle, which also leads to another 90 degree angle turn. It leads outside and the player can see the start of course in this road. The road has two somewhat steep ramps that aren't exactly straight, but they don't slow down the player. Past the ramps is a U-turn that leads to a straight road. The road then curves to the left, then makes a U-turn that leads into another interior.

In this room, there is a giant Bowser Machine that shoots one fireball at a time to the player. Despite that, the road is straight. After that is a turn left and a curve right that leads nearer to the Bowser Machine. The player then makes a left turn that also has the Bowser Machine's fireballs, but it isn't getting directly shot at the player. The road is straight and there is a ramp that has boost panels in it. After the ramp is a curve left and the finish line.

There is one notable shortcut in this course that does not require the use of a Mushroom. It is in the room with the Bowser machine. Before the curve that leads the player right, one can notice an opening in a wall, directly where the Bowser Machine belches out fire from. The player can drive over that, but must steer quickly or risk falling into the lava just after making the ramp. The player also has a risk of getting burnt by a fireball just before the jump, making the player also fall into the lava.

''Mario Kart Arcade GP
Bowser's Castle also appeared in Mario Kart Arcade GP as the first course in Bowser Cup, appearing before Castle Wall.

Mario Kart DS
In Mario Kart DS the players start by passing through a metallic doorway of Bowser (which plays his laugh on entry) and then pass through a hallway with Thwomps. After climbing stairs and crossing a thin but walled bridge, drivers will enter another circular room like in Mario Kart: Double Dash. However, this one doesn't have a Firebar, and instead spins. A path with a Thwomp and then a spiral bridge follows. If racers aren't careful, they can fall a long way down into lava or even back to the beginning of the spiral. It is possible there to Bob-omb someone out the tower's windows. Racers will encounter a spinning log in which drivers must navigate across, or they will fall into a garden and lose time. The final stretch of the map consists of moving platforms that must be jumped over. If players go all the way around the circular room, they will take a shortcut. However, the shortcut has fire and a moving Thwomp.

Also, Bowser Castle 2 from Mario Kart: Super Circuit appears. It is enhanced for the DS look, but retains the same layout and structure.

''Mario Kart Arcade GP 2
In the successor of Mario Kart Arcade GP, Bowser's Castle also appears in Mario Kart Arcade GP 2. Unlike the preceding game, the courses are not organized into cups and this results it as the first course in the Bowser Stage, before Castle Wall, which also made an appearance in the preceding game.

Mario Kart Wii
Mario Kart Wii's Bowser Castle resembles the Mario Kart: Double Dash!! castle track. It has Thwomps and the same entrance design to the castle (Bowser's face) and also has Bowser's laugh playing on the entry to the castle. Mario Kart: Super Circuit's Bowser Castle 3 and Bowser Castle from Mario Kart 64, also reappear with changes in term of gameplay. GBA Bowser Castle 3 now has mud on some place while N64 Bowser Castle features lava geysers in some places.

Course Layout
The race starts out in a straight road that leads into a bridge that curves downhill and uphill, which has boost panels in it. The player may perform a trick to gain speed. After the ramp is the entrance to Bowser's Castle. On the entrance, the player hears Bowser's laugh. After the entry is a wavy hall, filled with pillars and item boxes. The player can perform tricks on the wavy hallway, since this sends the player in the air a little. After the wavy hallway is a 90 degree turn left and another turn right. After the turn is a road that leads straight to the lava unless the player turns left to avoid falling into it. In this area, the player has to avoid Thwomps constantly pounding the ground, smashing any player who gets caught underneath their blows. After that is a turn left and a ramp with a boost panel in it, which leads to a room full of lava with a large straight path over the lava. In this room, the road is very straight. However, there is a giant Bowser machine who spits out large fireballs towards an area where there are explosion marks, to show the area where the ball will explode. After the explosion mark is a mud covered area. The player must use the left and right half-pipe ramps to avoid the mud in order to keep him/her from slowing down. After the player gets past that, he/she will see another area covered in mud, but there is a ramp near the beginning of the mud, in the center. Taking that ramp is a risky maneuver, however, since the large fireballs bounce off this ramp as well. Another option is to take the half-pipe ramps again, which is safer, but adds more time. The path splits into two, left and right, in this part, but both are identical, just the directions are mirrored. Both paths lead to three spinning firebars that can burn the player on contact. After the firebars is a ramp with a boost panel in it. The player may use it to speed up and perform a trick on it. The path merges again after this part. After the ramp is a short straight road until a large curve to the left. The player can see that the tighter area of this curve has fire pillars coming out of the road, so the player may take the path to cut time when there are no fire pillars present. If the player turns too sharply, to the extreme right of the fire pillars, he/she will find himself/herself in the lava. After this area, the path is still curving and there are more Thwomps in this area. After the large curve upwards, there are three Thwomps that are hovering over the path. The left and right ones slam down at the same time while the center one will be still hovering in the area while the two slam the ground and vice versa. After the three Thwomps is a very large firebar that the player must avoid while using a ramp with a boost panel in it. If the acceleration of the car is too low, the player will fall into the lava. After the firebar part is the exit of the castle and a turn to the left. Here, there are lava pillars erupting from the ground, with a small hill around them for the player to perform a trick. However, the firepillars may mess up the player while he/she is performing a trick and slow the player down by flipping him/her over. After this part is the starting line again, which starts the cycle and another lap again.

Competitions
The August 2009 Competition 2 took place in Bowser's Castle. It was a time trial race containing several hazards, such as Swooper swarms, more lava springs, and scattered boxes. Thwomps were also placed at different spots, preferably spots that were more likely to hinder the player. The spinning firebars also moved faster than before. The player started out with a set of Triple Mushrooms.

Trivia

 * In the Wii version of Bowser's Castle, a billboard displaying an image of Boo and Dry Bones can be seen. That artwork was first used in Mario Party 7.
 * The Bowser statue at the start of N64 Bowser Castle's eyes will light up while Bowser's laugh is playing.
 * Bowser's Castle, Mario Circuit (named Mario Raceway in Mario Kart 64), and Rainbow Road are the only courses that are in each Mario Kart series games.