Star Cup

The Star Cup is one of the cups in the Mario Kart series, and its symbol is a Star. In most Mario Kart games, it is the third Nitro cup (except in Mario Kart: Super Circuit, where it is the fourth), and the completion of this cup is required to unlock the Special Cup. This cup usually consists of courses that are designed to be slightly more challenging than the previous cups, as there are more gimmicks in the courses. The tracks are usually as long as the ones from the Flower Cup.

Mario Kart Wii trading card info
"The action REALLY starts to heat up when you tackle the Star Cup. Four new tracks will test your racing mettle. Daisy Circuit is a very scenic track, while the others (Koopa Cape, Maple Treeway, and Grumble Volcano) offer up some serious challenges and difficult racing conditions."

Mario sports games
The cup appeared also in certain Mario sports games like Super Mario Strikers and Mario Superstar Baseball.

Mario Tennis series
The Star Cup makes regular appearances in the Mario Tennis series. Usually, it is the third, last cup of the Open Tournament. When players clear the Star Cup, they receive a star ranking, which rewards them with stronger stats while allowing them to participate in the Special Tournaments. In Mario Tennis Open, however, the Star Cup is called the Final Cup, and it is the last cup of the Special Tournaments and the entire game. This cup is held in the Galaxy Arena morph court, and after this is played, the credits roll. Matches in this cup have three sets for the starting round, three sets for the semifinals, and five sets for the finals. The Champions Cup replaces the Star Cup as the last cup of the Open Tournament, and fourth in the game.

Super Mario Strikers
In Super Mario Strikers, the Star Cup has eight teams, seven rounds, and uses the table system. When the player finishes in the top three, the Bowser Cup and The Battle Dome are unlocked. A similar cup is the Super Star Cup.

Mario Sports Mix
The Star Cup also appeared in Mario Sports Mix as a harder difficulty, like the other series. The Star Cup in Mario Sports Mix includes the final match against the Final Fantasy team and Behemoth or Behemoth King after the players have completed the cup. Star Road is also found on this cup, which is an alternate path available once players clear the Star Cup.

Trivia

 * Mario Kart 64's Star Cup is the only Star Cup that has two courses that share the same background music.
 * Mario Kart: Double Dash!!'s Star Cup is the only cup not to contain any dash panels whatsoever.