GBA Sky Garden

Sky Garden is the second race course of the Lightning Cup in Mario Kart: Super Circuit. The track takes place on a cobbled road atop clouds, with bridges connecting them and beanstalks scattered around the clouds. This course has no major obstacles, although players can easily fall off of it. The Luigi blimp from Luigi Circuit can be seen in the background. A similar course with several shared names in other languages known as Cloudtop Cruise appears in Mario Kart 8.

Sky Garden returns as the third course of the retro Lightning Cup in Mario Kart DS, in Mario Kart Tour, debuting in the Sky Tour, and in the Mario Kart 8 Deluxe – Booster Course Pass as the third course of the Lucky Cat Cup.

Course layout
Sky Garden begins with an immediate left right-angled turn, followed by a more subtle left turn shortly afterwards. Players then jump over a short gap before taking a slight right, followed by another sharp left. Racers then drive down a long straightaway before reaching a left bend that takes players into a sharp U-turn to the right, before continuing to the left again to another straightaway, this one being more brief than the previous one. Players then take a reflex-angle turn and drive down a long, winding road before reaching a large bend, similar to one seen in Donut Plains 1. Also like the bend in Donut Plains 1, this takes players onto a short straightaway before taking a left turn onto another chicane, before taking a left turn, then reaching a long straightaway before crossing the finish line.

Shortcuts
There are three shortcuts in this course. One is at the beginning of the course. There is a ramp, and if the player uses a mushroom, they will fly onto a set of clouds. From there, the player can either use a mushroom to glide across the gaps or just can hop over them. The next shortcut is on the right of the small boost ramp that leads to an item. A mushroom is required to make it across. This is the shortcut used by the staff ghost. The last shortcut is right after the straight away and turn. If the player turns left there will be a huge floating cloud. Once again, the player can either use a mushroom to glide across the gaps or can hop over them.

Mario Kart DS
Sky Garden makes its classic course debut in Mario Kart DS as the third course of the Lightning Cup, holding the distinction of being the only track to appear in the same cup twice (not counting the Extra Tracks in Mario Kart: Super Circuit). There is an added shortcut in this version. After going across the small boost ramp leading to an item, the player must use a Mushroom and hop at the exact right second to get across the large gap. The shortcut can also be done with a well placed jump over the large gap if the player is using a high acceleration kart without a Mushroom, but is very difficult to perform. This is possible in the original game, but the player will fall right over the other side no matter what. Additionally, the first shortcut has an added longer cloud in front of the original one at the gap's end. The staff ghost is Daisy.

Mission 6-5 takes place here, where the player has to pass through eight gates in order as Peach.

Mario Kart Tour
Sky Garden returns in Mario Kart Tour starting from the Sky Tour. It is the second classic course in Mario Kart Tour (the first being GBA Sunset Wilds) to receive a new arrangement for its music and currently one of two GBA courses with a previous arrangement to receive a new arrangement in the game, the other being Peach Circuit. There are now two blimps; both use the appearance from Singapore Speedway. The giant beanstalks that previously only appeared in the background are now closer to the course, and one of them features a red Toad House on a cloud.

A course banner is added at the starting line, featuring the classic Mario Kart logo in a round frame supported by two beanstalks, which grow from earthenware planters. The road is also now made entirely of gray stone files, formed in an arched pattern, and features flowerpots and fences in the off-road areas. The course has been simplified, with some of the bends being removed. The first shortcut now features players performing Jump Boosts on giant leaves while the last is now under the beanstalk that supports the Toad House. The second shortcut is removed; the ramp now leads to a Mushroom Trampoline on the main route. The straightaway near the finish line is replaced with a gliding section.

The course is a favorite of Blue Shy Guy, Peach (Explorer), Tanooki Mario, Tanooki Rosalina, Mario (Aviator), Rosalina (Volendam), Rosalina (Chef), White Tanooki Mario, Toadette (Astronaut), Waluigi (Vampire), and the Rosalina Mii Racing Suit. It can also be a favorite of White Shy Guy and the Silver Mii Racing Suit if they reach level 3, and Birdo (White) if she reaches level 6.

The course also appears as Sky Garden R (reversed), Sky Garden T (with ramps), and Sky Garden R/T (reversed with ramps); the former two debuted alongside the normal variant in the Sky Tour, while the latter was introduced in the 2023 New Year's Tour. In the T variant, there is a moving platform with a Dash Panel ramp near the final U-turn. In the R/T variant, many ramps and Mushroom Trampolines are added throughout the course, and a blue Mushroom Trampoline is added near the end allowing racers to reach a platform only accessible in the final lap.

For this course's tour appearances, see List of GBA Sky Garden tour appearances in Mario Kart Tour.

Mario Kart 8 Deluxe
Sky Garden returns in the Booster Course Pass DLC for Mario Kart 8 Deluxe. It is the third course of the Lucky Cat Cup released in the first wave in March 2022, nearly a month after its inclusion in Mario Kart Tour, though it was revealed in gameplay form in a February 2022 Nintendo Direct prior to its addition to said game. It derives its appearance and layout from Mario Kart Tour, except with orange stone tiles instead of gray and an animated cloud texture. Unlike Tour, the leaf shortcut is reflected on the minimap. Many Mushroom Trampolines can be seen growing from underneath the course, and several airships from Cloudtop Cruise appear in the background instead of the blimps. Koopa Paratroopas appear as spectators on the course.

Like many other classic courses in Mario Kart 8 and Mario Kart 8 Deluxe, the music has been redone with live instruments, featuring a saxophone, piano, and electric guitar lead instead of the original song's synths.

Much like the other tracks in Wave 1, the Booster Course Pass's initial reveal trailer and official artwork use screenshots of the Mario Kart Tour version of Sky Garden. However, on the for Wave 1, Sky Garden is the only course to use a screenshot of its 8 Deluxe version rather than its Tour version.

As with all other courses from Wave 1, this course's icon and lighting were adjusted slightly in the 2.1.0 update.

Mario Kart DS

 * European website bio: "In this race above the clouds, don't let the beautiful view go to your head. One false move and it's a very long way down to the ground. You'll need boosts aplenty to make the most of Sky Garden's numerous short-cuts, but don't be afraid of using your brakes too."

Mario Kart 8 Deluxe

 * Nintendo Switch News app (US):
 * This course first appeared in the Mario Kart™: Super Circuit™ game for Game Boy™ Advance.
 * This course takes place on some fluffy clouds. (How does that even work??)
 * There are minimal obstacles but beware of falling off the edge!
 * Nintendo Switch News app (UK): Cruise through the clouds in Sky Garden! First appearing in Mario Kart: Super Circuit on the Game Boy Advance, Sky Garden is an above-the-clouds course that floats way up in the stratosphere. It's an easy-riding course with few obstacles, but careful you don't fall off, as those time penalties will start to add up before you know it!

Trivia

 * The course is misnamed GBA Sky Tour in an overview of Mario Kart Tour on the, being conflated with the game's Sky Tour.
 * Excluding Mario Kart DS, in which every GBA track is consistently placed as the third course of their respective cups, and Mario Kart Tour, Sky Garden's appearance in Mario Kart 8 Deluxe is the only instance of a classic course originating from Mario Kart: Super Circuit not being the second course in a cup.