Mario Circuit (Mario Kart 8)

Mario Circuit is the first course of the Flower Cup in Mario Kart 8 and Mario Kart 8 Deluxe. This Mario Circuit's layout is designed after the Möbius strip (a closed surface consisting of only one side) to make full use of the new anti-gravity mechanic of the game. It is centered around Peach's Castle, which happens to be resting on floating islands, some of which also make up the course's background. Like Figure-8 Circuit and Toad's Turnpike, the track is shaped like the number eight. There are Goombas and Goomba Towers on the course that can spin out the player. The track is lush and green, surrounded by blue sky and white clouds, as well as waterfalls. There are twenty-two coins located on this track. Mario Kart Stadium's music is largely rearranged from this track's song, as confirmed by a liner note in the Mario Kart 8 Original Soundtrack. In Mario Kart 8, it is a selectable battle course.

Course layout
Being designed after a Möbius strip, the track follows a single path that twists around near the beginning. The track remains fairly simple in terms of design. Players start on the straightaway of the Möbius strip and shortly after, there is a turn to the left. Two Goombas slowly step side-to-side in this part of the track and cause racers who collide with them to spin out. A white bridge follows the turn and starts the anti-gravity section. The track turns to the right shortly after and starts racing underneath the finish line. After a left turn, the racers cross the white bridge again, which twists the track back to normal and after another right turn, the racers approach the finish line. A Glide Ramp and Goomba Towers appear at the stretch to the finish. Mario's Standard Kart can be seen in the pit area, alongside ? Blocks.

The course's starting banner can be interacted with by gliding racers, causing it to swing; the other four courses to share this feature are, , and. It is the only one of these five courses to be a new course.

Shortcuts

 * The player can use boost items to cut through the grass to the left of the big turn at the start.
 * The right turn before the white bridge can be cut by going through the grass with a Mushroom.
 * After crossing the white bridge, racers can cut through the grass behind some Piranha Plant pipes with a boost item.
 * On the other side of the strip, where this stretch of the track serves as the final turn to the finish line, the racer can go through the pipes and sand by using Mushrooms or a Star.

Staff ghost
The staff ghost for this track is Mario on the Standard Kart, with Normal tires and the Super Glider, with a time of 2:07.436. In Mario Kart 8 Deluxe 200cc, the staff ghost is Pink Gold Peach with a time of 1:23.243.

Appearance in the Super Smash Bros. series
The track appears in Super Smash Bros. for Wii U as a new stage. The stage takes place on several platforms that move around the stage, stopping at certain intervals around the stage similar to Rainbow Road in the 3DS version. Shy Guys can drive into the fight like in the aforementioned stage and the other Mario Circuit stage; however, because of the anti-gravity, they can drive on other surfaces such as on the wall to the right of the players or above them. The default music is a medley of the Circuit theme and Neo Bowser City's music from Mario Kart 7, though the original versions of numerous songs from Mario Kart 8 including Mario Circuit are also available.

Mario Circuit returns as a playable stage in Super Smash Bros. Ultimate, now with access to every Mario Kart song featured in the Super Smash Bros. series.

Sponsors

 * Burning DK (Trackside banners)
 * Dream Gliders (Signs)
 * Mario Kart (Oil cans)
 * Mario Kart TV (Trackside banners, van)
 * Mario Motors (Garages, signs, trackside banners)
 * Mushroom Piston (Signs)
 * Nintendo (Trackside banners)

Mario Kart 8 Original Soundtrack liner note
''"This track takes the form of a kind of Möbius Strip and also suggests the number eight, to signify its place in the series. The synthesiser sound we used for the melody here was meant to give the feel of the anti-gravity effect which features in this title."'

Trivia

 * This is one of the three courses (along with Toad Harbor and Twisted Mansion) that were playable at E3 2013. Incidentally, all three take place in the Flower Cup, in the same order as the original demo.

Circuito di Mario (Wii U) Marios Piste