DS Airship Fortress

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 was 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 Cannon Pipe that shoots racers out to the fortress through the air. Furthermore, the track includes harmful obstacles like Bullet Bills, Rocky Wrenches and more. Airship Fortress is the only course in the entire Mario Kart series to feature Bullet Bills being shot right at a player. Missions 6-2 and 7-7 are carried out here.

Course layout


The track starts with a straightaway, where a barrage of Bullet Bills are shot from a Cannon Pipe of the airship and will wipe any racer out if they collide. Passing this section of the track players will 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 and may contain a Mushroom or a Banana Peel if the Kart breaks the box at great speed. The next room to follow includes burners moving side to side that will cause the player to spin out if they touch the fire.

Players exit the airship by being launched by the airship's Cannon Pipe 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 push other racers into a crack and knock them 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 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 Cannon Pipe now encompasses a gliding pad, although like Waluigi Pinball and Maple Treeway, players cannot aim their flight. Players are also no longer immune to items while in the Cannon Pipe, and being hit by anything (or intentionally stowing their glider) will result in having to be rescued by Lakitu.

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."