Wii Mushroom Gorge

Mushroom Gorge is the third course in the Mushroom Cup from Mario Kart Wii. The course is located on a mountainous zone with tall Mushroom Platforms rising over cloudy pits. Racers travel the course mainly on land; however, on a part of the course, they enter a cave where they find a pit full of Mushroom Trampolines, which are mushrooms the racers use as platforms. Players can drive two different ways over these mushrooms to cross the cave. Red Mushroom Trampolines cause drivers to bounce, so players can do a trick while they are in the air to get a small boost of speed later. The green-capped Mushroom Trampolines, however, do not cause vehicles to bounce. Some Goombas appear serving as obstacles on the track.

Mushroom Gorge reappears in Mario Kart 7 as a retro course of the Shell Cup. The course's layout shows some changes from its first appearance, including a blue-colored Mushroom Trampoline for the gliding function and the removal of the two Mushroom Trampolines at the beginning of the course. The course also returns in Mario Kart Tour starting with the Mii Tour.

The background music of this course is available as a selectable music track on the Mario Circuit stage in Super Smash Bros. for Wii U, and on any Mario Kart stage in Super Smash Bros. Ultimate, as well as Battlefield, Big Battlefield, Small Battlefield, and Final Destination as of the version 8.1.0 update of the latter.

Mario Kart Wii
The track begins on a dirt road with Mushroom Trampolines and Mushroom Platforms in the background. There is a slight turn to the right and another to the left, which brings to a wooden bridge that turns right. After that, there are Item Boxes for the player to take. After them, there is a single red Mushroom Trampoline. In between the bridge and the dirt road is also an abyss the player can fall into.

After that, there is a left turn in which the player can choose the longer path with Item Boxes and Dash Panels or the shorter path with Mushroom Trampolines, which is the path that CPUs usually take. After this is an entrance to a cave, in which the road turns left and into an abyss with Mushroom Trampolines and Platforms all over. The player also has two paths to take, and both involve the use of the Mushroom Trampolines in the cave. Item Boxes also appear in the cave.

After exiting the cave, there is a left U-turn around an abyss. Goombas are on this part of the track, which act as obstacles. After passing the Goomba section, the player reaches is the finish line.

Shortcuts
In Mushroom Gorge, there is a shortcut that allows the player to speed past the regular curving route and get a boost. It can be performed without a mushroom (by jumping over the thinnest part of the grass and turning slightly right after bouncing off the first Mushroom Trampoline). After starting the race, the player should head to the left through an area with no fence and use a mushroom boost (or jump) to drive off the cliff and bounce off the Mushroom Trampolines below, landing on the bridge. This shortcut is utilized in a glitch where racers turn around and bounce off the first Mushroom Trampoline and lean back to climb on the cliff; moving left for a while then drops the player onto the track before the finish line. Because of this, the deliberate shortcut and two Mushroom Trampolines were removed in Mario Kart 7.

Also, by the last U-turn, if the player cuts across the grassy patch with some sort of speed boost and doesn't fall into the crevice, there is a time gain of a second or two. Players can also use a mushroom and jump across the gap itself. It is also possible to bounce off the final Mushroom Trampoline on the left side of the cave and climb on the left wall and get onto the other side of the gap; a Mushroom boost is required. In Mario Kart 7, this can be done with the glider, but is much harder and costs time.

Whether intentional or not, hitting a jump boost will allow the racer to drive and drift off-course without losing speed. This status is removed after bouncing off a mushroom trampoline.

One more glitch can be done, but this one requires a Bullet Bill (only possible in the Wii version). When the player gets it, they must go into the cave and drive to the wooden ramp. When they perform a jump boost right on it, they must activate the Bullet Bill. This can be done in any position. After the Bullet Bill flies them to the end of the cave, the player should go into the grass right near the finish line and will notice that their speed will not slow down, thus negating the off-road debuff and saving time. However, this glitch wears off when the player jumps onto another Mushroom Trampoline.

Mario Kart 7
Mushroom Gorge reappears in Mario Kart 7 as the third race in the Shell Cup. Due to graphical limitations, the Mushroom Trampolines are larger than in Mario Kart Wii, and they are flat, and some mushrooms in the background have been removed. The arrows at the first split paths have been changed from brown to red. Some of the Dash Panels have been shifted around, with an extra one being added to the first split track section, and the one on the right at the split paths has been moved forward.

The most significant changes to the course are that the shortcut near the start of the track with the Mushroom trampolines has been removed. Inside the cave, five of the red mushroom trampolines have been removed, and the green mushroom on the left route is now a blue mushroom trampoline that acts as a Glide Ramp.

Mario Kart Tour
Mushroom Gorge returns in Mario Kart Tour as a classic course starting from the Mii Tour. The course has received a graphical update; The starting line has been redesigned into a stone archway with the modern Mario Kart logo, small Mushroom Trampolines and mushrooms now appear more prominently as background elements. Certain elements, like the elevation of the Mushroom Trampolines and the types of ramps used in some locations, had to be changed to accommodate for Mario Kart Tour's physics; there is also an additional Mushroom Trampoline in the cave section compared to the Mario Kart 7 incarnation of the track. Players can also now perform Jump Boosts by dropping off Mushroom Platforms. There is no longer a Dash Panel on the first or second ramp of the course. One of the three Goombas near the end of the course has also been removed. In the reverse variant, the Mushroom Platforms and Trampolines in the cave are replaced by blue Mushroom Trampolines.

The course is a favorite of Mario (Golf), Yoshi (Gold Egg), Donkey Kong Jr. (SNES), Waluigi (Vampire), and the Toad and Silver Mii Racing Suits. It can also be a favorite of the Gold Mii Racing Suit if it is at level 6, and Cat Toad and Peach (Yukata) if they are at level 8.

For this course's tour appearances, see List of Wii Mushroom Gorge tour appearances in Mario Kart Tour.

Mario Kart Wii

 * Website bios:
 * Flag of USA.png "Bouncing and pulling tricks off the red mushrooms is crazy fun, but it's tricky to keep your car out of the chasms."
 * Flag of Europe.png "Bounce your way through an underground cavern on top of giant mushrooms that double as trampolines. Whatever route you take, just make sure you land safely!"
 * Prima Guide: "This is the first course to offer a multitude of tricks, as well as precarious edges and bottomless drops to avoid-or jostle your opponents into! The trick here is to figure out the quickest route when the course branches into two different paths, all the while avoiding the roaming Goombas, staying on the dirt track, and using the famous giant mushrooms as trampolines!"
 * Trading Card bio: "Get ready for some precision mushroom-bouncing action on this track! Upon entering the cavern, staying to the right seems to be the path most racers will travel. However, taking the path to the left will surely allow you to get a better shot at scoring a useful Item from the plentiful Item Boxes."

Mario Kart Wii / Mario Kart 7

 * Mushroom (Trackside banners)

Mario Kart Tour

 * Dream Gliders (Trackside banners)
 * Mushroom Piston (Trackside banners)
 * 1-Up Mushroom Car Insurance Group (Signs)
 * Mario Automobile Association (Signs)
 * 1-Up Fuel (Signs)
 * Shy Guy Metals (Signs)
 * Bullet Bill Speed Trial (Signs)

Tournaments
The second tournament of June 2008 was a Time Trial of Mushroom Gorge. However, the course had to be driven through backwards. Ramps were added to the beginnings of the mushroom paths (or else it would be impossible to land on them without falling off). The same tournament later appeared as the second tournament of June 2010, the first tournament of December 2011, the second tournament of February 2013, and finally the only tournament of May 2014, the final tournament before the discontinuation of Nintendo Wi-Fi Connection service.