SNES Donut Plains 3

Donut Plains 3 is the first course of the Special Cup in Super Mario Kart, as well as the fourth and last race of the Extra Star Cup in Mario Kart: Super Circuit and the second course of the Banana Cup in Mario Kart 8 and Mario Kart 8 Deluxe. The course also makes an appearance in Mario Kart Tour starting from the 2022 Halloween Tour. It is a dirt course set around a large lake with several Monty Moles.

Course layout
Donut Plains 3 features a giant lake, a peninsula jutting far into the water, and two broken bridges without side-rails. The racers must hop over the crack in the second bridge to avoid falling into the lake. Gophers live in this stage as well, both on land and in water.

Mario Kart: Super Circuit
The course reappears in Mario Kart: Super Circuit, and is the fourth and last track of the Extra Star Cup. It uses the background from Riverside Park. A jump pad was placed on the second bridge before the crack, and the small hole before it was filled in, making it easier to cross. The Monty Moles were removed, and an extra Item Box was added before the final S-curve.

Shortcut
A shortcut requires a Mushroom at the start of the second bridge. The player must use the item when they get on the bridge so they are still going fast at the ramp and can do a high jump. The player must then aim slightly to the left so they overshoot the barrier separating the bridge from the starting line and land in front of the starting line. If the player then turns and crosses the starting line, it registers that a lap was completed. Using this shortcut, it is possible to complete a lap in under nine seconds.

Mario Kart 8 / Mario Kart 8 Deluxe
Donut Plains 3 reappears in Mario Kart 8 and Mario Kart 8 Deluxe as the second race of the Banana Cup and the only classic race from Super Mario Kart from among the base Mario Kart 8 content. It now features a starting banner composed of Super Mario Bros. 3 styled blocks and the classic Mario Kart logo on top. One notable difference is that the graphics do not resemble the original SNES style, unlike Mario Kart DS, Mario Kart Wii, and Mario Kart 7, instead featuring bushes, Toad Houses, Brick Blocks, and ? Blocks in the background, as well as a lesser number of hills, which only one is brown, more resembling the backdrop of. A Super Mario World styled fortress with Toads and Yoshis is also added, beside the first bridge. The trees are now on the track itself, in the second half of the course. It is also one of the selectable battle courses in Mario Kart 8. The starting point has the Mario Kart logo's letters in four colors (red, green, yellow, and blue) on the top of a series of yellow blocks held up by larger, different-colored blocks.

One of the new features included is the ability to race underwater in the lake below the bridges. The breaks in the bridges are encountered a bit earlier than they originally were, and the end of the second bridge has collapsed. The lake is much smaller than it used to be, and there is no water on the other side after the second bridge; thus, the peninsula no longer exists. The track's width has been evened out; it is also banked at various points. Monty Moles now act as they do in, moving underground before popping out, instead of just hiding inside holes and popping out. The Monty Moles in the lake are now replaced by Cheep Cheeps. Thus, there are only two Monty Moles present, rather than nineteen. The mud patches in the last half of the course are now wide puddles. The walls within the course are thinner, and the one near the last S-curve has a gap in it. In this game, the whistles and beeps from the original theme only play when the player is in first place, alongside the normal first-place beats. The whistles and beeps also play during the second loop of the version from the Mario Kart 8 Original Soundtrack, although without the usual first-place beats.

When the player crosses the finish line to begin the next lap, Lakitu is shown on the left side of the player, holding the lap count signs (when holding the start signal, he’s also shown on the left side of the player).

Staff ghost
The staff ghost for this course is Lakitu on the Pipe Frame, with a time of 1:39.148. In Mario Kart 8 Deluxe 200cc, the staff ghost is Koopa Troopa with a time of 1:11.794.

Mario Kart Tour
Donut Plains 3 returns in Mario Kart Tour starting from the 2022 Halloween Tour. Unlike its previous appearance in Mario Kart 8, it uses its original layout, although the first bridge is filled in entirely and both bridges have fences on each side. The shape of the course itself does largely match the version from Mario Kart 8, most notably with the wider beginning, though the S-curve after the second bridge is not as sharp. Like in Mario Kart: Super Circuit, there is a ramp on the second bridge. Most of the long mud patch before the last S-curve is gone (leaving only the part inside the second U-turn), and a new one at the first turn (replacing some of the grass originally present there) was added. The gap in the wall from the Mario Kart 8 version is also present, though the underwater sections and Cheep Cheeps that were previously added in that game are absent (though Cheep Cheeps are present in the R/T variant). There are only six Monty Moles in the course, with one in the first mud patch, two at the second U-turn, and three at the last S-curve. The walls covering the border of the lake have been removed. The course retains the visuals of RMX Donut Plains 1 and the other two SNES Donut Plains courses in the game.

The course also appears as Donut Plains 3R (reverse), Donut Plains 3T (with ramps), and Donut Plains 3R/T (reverse and with ramps). This course, alongside Boo Lake, are the first classic courses in Mario Kart Tour to debut alongside with their R/T variants.

The course is a favorite of Mario (Halloween), Peach (Halloween), and the Rosalina, Donkey Kong, Dolphin, and Green Mii Racing Suits.

Appearances
For this course's tour appearances, see List of SNES Donut Plains 3 tour appearances in Mario Kart Tour.

Mario Kart 8

 * Facebook page: Drive the vast vistas of Donut Plains in Mario Kart 8, a favorite getaway for Toads and Yoshis alike.

Mario Kart 8 Original Soundtrack liner notes
"This is a track from the original Mario Kart. We've used live instrumentation, but made every effort to retain a familiar feel to the sound."

Trivia

 * This track and are the only courses that have been in both the Special and Banana Cups. Coincidentally, both are the first courses of their original games' Special Cups, and both return in the same game, Mario Kart 8 (and Mario Kart 8 Deluxe). Additionally, this track and  are the only non-DLC classic courses in Mario Kart 8 to not involve air gliding. Coincidentally, both take place in the Banana Cup, and are ran back-to-back.
 * In Mario Kart 8, one of the Yoshis in the audience will occasionally hum Totaka's Song. This also occurs in other courses featuring Yoshis in the audience.