Dash Panel

Dash Panels (also formatted as dash panels), also named Turbo Plates, Turbo Tiles, Boost Pads, and other names depending on the game, are special panels that make the player go faster. They are most prominently featured in the Mario Kart series.

Super Mario Kart
Dash Panels, named Zippers, first appear in Super Mario Kart, where they appear as yellow arrows. They appear in Bowser Castle 1, Mario Circuit 2, Ghost Valley 2, Bowser Castle 2, Mario Circuit 3, Bowser Castle 3 and Ghost Valley 3. In Mario Circuit 2, Zippers are used to make a large jump. In the Virtual Console release, they are named Speed Pads.

Mario Kart 64
Dash Panels, named Dash Zones and booster arrows, reappear in Mario Kart 64 in Royal Raceway and D.K.'s Jungle Parkway. They appear as scrolling yellow and red arrows, and they are used to launch racers over large gaps similarly to cannons in later games. They are larger than in Super Mario Kart. Ramps that look like Dash Zones appear in Koopa Troopa Beach.

Mario Kart: Super Circuit
In Mario Kart: Super Circuit, they are named Speed Strips, and are smaller than in Mario Kart 64. Speed Strips appear in fourteen courses. They act the same as they did in Super Mario Kart and are often used to make large jumps off ramps, such as in Ribbon Road. With the exception of Mario Circuit 2, all extra courses had their Speed Strips removed.

Mario Kart: Double Dash!!
Dash Panels, also named Rainbow Ramps, reappear in Mario Kart: Double Dash!!, where they are designed as rainbow-colored panels and are now rectangle-shaped. In this game, Dash Panels are more powerful, being as fast as a Mushroom.

Mario Kart DS
Dash Panels reappear in Mario Kart DS with a design similar to Mario Kart: Double Dash!!'s, except with more vibrant colors. In, certain Dash Panels use their old design, while others use the new design.

Mario Kart Wii
Dash Panels reappear in Mario Kart Wii, where they have a similar design to the ones in Mario Kart: Double Dash!!, but in most courses, the color only changes from pink to red, orange, and yellow. Tricks can now be performed off of Dash Panels that are on ramps in order to gain a jump boost. Every Wii course in the game features a Dash Panel. Retro courses from games older than Mario Kart: Double Dash!! that contain Dash Panels keep their original design, such as in. Halfpipe-style boost ramps are also introduced in this game, which signal the locations where the player can jump and perform tricks off the sides of courses.

Mario Kart 7
Dash Panels reappear in Mario Kart 7, where they are only orange. A new blue variant called Glide Ramps appear which do not increase the player's speed and deploy the player's Glider when driven over. Tricks can also be performed off of Glide Ramps.

Mario Kart 8 / Mario Kart 8 Deluxe
Dash Panels and Glide Ramps reappear in Mario Kart 8 and Mario Kart 8 Deluxe, where the arrows on the Dash Panels are pixelated. In dash panel ramp trucks appear which have a Dash Panel and a Glide Ramp on them. Antigravity Panels appear, which automatically set the Kart into Anti-gravity mode. It ends automatically, often after a ramp or a gliding section. When going backwards, the anti-gravity automatically turns on or off when passing over the anti-gravity panel.

Dash Panels do not speed up the player when inactive. In some courses, some Dash Panels become inactive under certain conditions:
 * Cloudtop Cruise: The Dash Panels in the thundercloud segment will switch off when struck by lightning.
 * Bowser's Castle: When they are in contact with the Bowser Monument's fist.
 * Rainbow Road: They switch on and off when the conveyor belts change directions.
 * Hyrule Circuit: When not all of the Spin Boost Pillars' diamonds are lit up.
 * Super Bell Subway: When a train drives on one, the Dash Panel become inactive.

Mario Kart Tour
Dash Panels, Glide Ramps and half-pipes reappear in Mario Kart Tour. They act the same as in previous games, except for half-pipes that feature new mechanics. The player now automatically tricks off of Glide Ramps and Dash Panels which are on ramps. Using a Dash Panel gives the player points.

The following karts increase boost time and points from going over a Dash Panel.

Mario Kart Live: Home Circuit
In Mario Kart Live: Home Circuit, boosts, or a boost zone, reappear, but with a new 3-D arrow design. They can be placed as a gate customization. Any racer that drives through the gate will receive a short burst of speed. The player can also set the boost to be an entire length, or be in certain spots.

Diddy Kong Racing / Diddy Kong Racing DS
Zippers appear in Diddy Kong Racing and Diddy Kong Racing DS, which act similarly to how they act in the Mario Kart series. There are three variants of Zippers, one for each vehicle. Each vehicle's Zipper has a different appearance and are positioned based on the associated terrain. Car Zippers are arrow-shaped panels placed on the ground, the Hovercraft variant is shaped like a triangle and located on bodies of water, and the Plane variant is ring-shaped and is located in the air. Initially, all these Zippers come in red and yellow. The Hovercraft and Plane variants are slightly transparent and animated, whereas the Car variant is opaque and static.

Any vehicle can use any Zipper, though a car is naturally going to find it difficult or counterproductive to even touch a Hovercraft or Plane Zipper, whereas a plane can easily reach any of them, and a hovercraft is in the middle. Many Hovercraft and Plane Zippers do not appear if no player has selected the matching vehicle, while most Car Zippers are always present.

Like other speed boosts in the game, if the player lets go of the button before it is activated, they receive a bigger speed boost with green fire and rainbow-coloured smoke.

Mario & Sonic at the Olympic Games
Dash Panels reappear in the Nintendo DS version of Mario & Sonic at the Olympic Games, where they appear in the Dream Race event and function similarly to their appearances in other games. They also appear in the Wii version, where they also appear in Dream Race, however in this version of the event their positions change each lap. In the DS version of the game, Dash Panels are rainbow colored and a red and yellow arrows in the middle. In the Wii version of the game, they are smaller and switch between yellow and orange.

Mario & Sonic at the Olympic Winter Games
Dash Panels reappear in the Nintendo DS version of Mario & Sonic at the Olympic Winter Games, where they appear in the Ski Cross Racing event, functioning the same as in other games and having a similar design to Dash Panels in Mario Kart Wii. Boosted Ramps using various numbers of Dash Panels also appear in this event. A single long Dash Panel appears in Intense Short Track, where it appears near the end of the course, though in this event the characters only receive a small speed boost when they reach the end of the Dash Panel. Numerous Dash Panels appear on the Deluxe Halfpipe course, where they provide the player with a large speed boost. Another single panel appears in Blazing Bobsleigh, where it gives the characters a speed boost when they pass over it.

In the Wii version, Dash Panels appear in both the individual and team versions of Dream Ski Cross, where they give characters that pass over them a short speed boost as well as angling them to better follow the course.

Mario & Sonic at the London 2012 Olympic Games
Dash Panels reappear in both versions of Mario & Sonic at the London 2012 Olympic Games, where they are generically named panels. In the Wii version, they appear exclusively in the Dream Equestrian event, where they appear in the Moo Moo Meadows course. In the event they use their Mario Kart Wii appearance and are surrounded by a wooden border. In the Nintendo 3DS version they only appear in the 1500m event, where they are blue, green, and yellow, and are surrounded by a white border. Other items which act similarly appear in the 10km Marathon Swim and Sailing - 470 (Pair) events. They act the same as they did in previous games.

Mario & Sonic at the Sochi 2014 Olympic Winter Games
Dash Panels appear in Groove Pipe Snowboard in Mario & Sonic at the Sochi 2014 Olympic Winter Games, where they look and function as they do in the Mario Kart series.

Mario & Sonic at the Olympic Games Tokyo 2020
Dash Panels reappear in Mario & Sonic at the Olympic Games Tokyo 2020, where they are red and white. They appear in the Highway Chase and Marathon (2D) minigames. They act same as they did in previous games.

Mario Party 9
Dash Panels, named dash zones, reappear in Mario Party 9 in the minigame Speeding Bullets. They are used to accelerate the character's speed when they are used. They are orange and are in the shape of an arrow. In Time Attack mode, the bonus challenge for Speeding Bullets is to not miss a single dash zone. The introduction cutscene for the minigame shows a player going over a dash zone. A dash zone that is named a dash ramp also appears in Snow Go which sends the player over thick snow. In Time Attack mode, the bonus challenge is to use it in all ten laps.

Mario Party: Island Tour
Dash Panels reappear in Mario Party: Island Tour, where they are present in two minigames: Gyro for the Gold and Mr. Blizzard's Snow Slalom. In the former, they are used to cross gaps between the platforms of the obstacle course, and have arrows which move on the Dash Panels quickly. In the latter, they look similar to Dash Panels in Mario Kart 7 and are used to launch the player's snowball at Mr. Blizzard.

Mario Party: The Top 100
Dash Panels also appear in this game. They are featured in Speeding Bullets.

Super Mario Party
Dash Panels reappear in Super Mario Party, where flat Dash Panels appear in the River Survival mode on the water's surface, boosting the raft forwards when run over. Dash Panels on ramps also appear, which are used to reach minigame balloons and + Clocks suspended in the air. The flat Dash Panels are orange and yellow, while the Dash Panels on ramps are red and yellow. Dash Panels also appear with their Mario Kart 8 appearance in the minigame Barreling Along, where they boost players forwards.

Super Mario 3D World / Super Mario 3D World + Bowser's Fury
Dash Panels reappear in Super Mario 3D World and Super Mario 3D World + Bowser's Fury. They are square-shaped and feature a pixelated diamond animation. When character runs on it, it will blink and will increase their speed. Characters cannot stop running or crouch and cannot make large changes in direction without being in the air during a speed boost. All characters run at the same speed when boosted. Jumping will slow boosted characters down slightly, especially if an ability such as floating is used. Characters will immediately return to full speed upon landing if the boost has not run out.

Super Mario Maker 2
While Dash Panels do not appear in Super Mario Maker 2, similar objects known as Dash Blocks, which are based on the Dash Panels in Super Mario 3D World, appear as placeable course elements.

Mario Golf: World Tour
Dash Panels reappear in Mario Golf: World Tour. They appear in the course Peach Gardens and are pink and heart shaped. They speed the golf ball up when the golf ball touches them. All of the course's holes except for hole four include at least one Dash Panel.

Mario Golf: Super Rush
Dash Panels, using their appearance from Super Mario 3D World, reappear in Mario Golf: Super Rush in the Battle Golf mode and in New Donk City. Unlike in Mario Golf: World Tour, the Dash Panels only affect characters dashing in Speed Golf or Battle Golf, and not golf balls.

Captain Toad: Treasure Tracker
Dash Panels reappear in Captain Toad: Treasure Tracker and its Nintendo Switch and Nintendo 3DS ports, where they have the same appearance and function that they had in Super Mario 3D World. They appear in Magma Road Marathon, where the player has to use them in order to advance and to not get hit by Charvaarghs, and they also appear in Drop-Road Dash. In the Nintendo Switch and Nintendo 3DS versions of the game, they also appear in Cookatiel's Sizzling Sprint.

Mario & Luigi: Paper Jam
Dash Panels appear in Mario & Luigi: Paper Jam, where they are white and orange, first appearing in the mission Wait Up, Yoshi! in Gloomy Woods. When the Dash Panels are stepped on, the trio dashes in the direction the arrows point. The trio cannot change their direction while they are dashing.

Mini Mario & Friends: amiibo Challenge
Dash Panels, named Boost Pads, reappear in Mini Mario & Friends: amiibo Challenge, where they have orange and yellow arrows which move and blue handles on the sides. They appear in every level in the world Boost Pad Bonanza. Minis speed up when touching them. Boost Pads are either on the ground or on walls, the latter of which cause Minis to run up or down a wall. By tapping a Boost Pad, the directions of all Boost Pads in a level can be changed simultaneously.

Other appearances
The plane-based Zippers from Diddy Kong Racing appear in both the 2001 build and the 2003 build of the cancelled Diddy Kong Pilot. In the 2001 build of Diddy Kong Pilot, they would have acted the same as their original counterparts. The 2003 build of Diddy Kong Pilot introduces two new types of Zippers. While the yellow and orange/red ones would have acted the same as their original counterpart, the special pink Zippers would spawn chains of themselves in a row if gone through. The final pink Zipper in the chain would lead to a faster and longer "Monkey Power" boost. The black and yellow ones would activate a "Monkey Madness" effect that autopilots the player to the finish/checkpoint line. The game would eventually be repurposed to become ', and the Zippers were slightly altered and renamed Speed-Up Rings'''.

Super Mario Kart

 * Wii Virtual Console manual: Pass over this for a quick speed boost!

Diddy Kong Racing DS

 * Diddy Kong Racing DS instruction booklet (page 11): Make contact with the zippers on each track to gain a momentary speed burst.

Mario Kart 7

 * North American website bio: Many courses are littered with orange and blue hyperspeed ramps that can send you to top speed via land or air in a flash. A skilled racer will use these to their full advantage to zoom past the competition.

Mini Mario & Friends: amiibo Challenge

 * Play Nintendo: If you want to give your Mini an extra burst of speed, you can march it up to a Boost Pad and it’ll automatically zip on ahead. Tap the Boost Pad to change the direction of the arrows.