| Athens Dash | |||||||||||
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 View of the Theatre of Dionysus and Hadrian's Arch | |||||||||||
| Information | |||||||||||
| Appears in | Mario Kart Tour (2023) Mario Kart 8 Deluxe (Booster Course Pass, Wave 5) (2023) | ||||||||||
| Cup(s) | Feather Cup | ||||||||||
| Tour(s) | |||||||||||
| Based on | Athens, Greece | ||||||||||
| Online play | Available (Switch) | ||||||||||
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Athens Dash is a race course in Mario Kart Tour. It is set in Athens, Greece and first appeared in the Spring Tour, making it the first city course to debut in a tour that is not named after the city it is based on. The course is the fifth course set in a European city. The course visits various landmarks of the city it is based upon, specifically atop the Acropolis, and the various ruins atop it, such as the Parthenon and the Erechtheion. Unlike most other city courses, Athens Dash largely keeps the city proper to the background, instead focusing on the ancient ruins the city is known for. Also unlike other real world city courses, which tend to reconstruct real world buildings faithfully, this course takes many liberties regarding its design, such as placing a gigantic statue of Athena outside the Parthenon, made of ivory and gold and wielding a spear and shield, similarly to the long-disappeared statue of Athena Parthenos. Like Sydney Sprint and Singapore Speedway, the track largely does not condense landmarks down and instead situates the ones featured around where they are in real life, though akin to the former, it takes more liberties with the layout and what's included. The starting banner consists of two golden statues of Danaïdes holding vases of water.
There are currently three routes for this course named Athens Dash, Athens Dash 2, and Athens Dash 3. The first two routes debuted together while the third route debuted in the 2023 Anniversary Tour. The first route takes racers to the Theatre of Dionysus and Hadrian's Arch, while the second route takes racers off the Acropolis. The course's model contains a currently unreleased third route, taking racers to the Odeon of Herodes Atticus and featuring a route that comes down upon the Theatre of Dionysus. It is the first city course in Mario Kart Tour to debut in 2023; additionally, the period of time between its introduction and the introduction of the previous city course is longer than any other city course, with twenty-one tours between Bangkok Rush's debut in the Bangkok Tour and Athens Dash's debut in the Spring Tour. Athens Dash is also the first city course to feature half-pipes and the second city course to lack any sponsor advertisements, the first being Singapore Speedway. Prior to the official reveal of Athens Dash, references to assets for this course such as pillars and doorways were left within the game's internal data, all of which were appended the course's internal abbreviation (mobat).
Athens Dash returns in Mario Kart 8 Deluxe as the first course of the Feather Cup in the Booster Course Pass.
Mario Kart Tour
Athens Dash
Racers start inside the Parthenon. Upon leaving the Parthenon, racers soon take a left turn before going down hill to approach some ruins. Racers can choose to jump off of a ramp and drive along the floor, or jump up on some arches and collect a few coins. After avoiding some ruins that create a fork in the road, racers drive up a ramp before landing on the Theatre of Dionysus. After curving along the seats, racers drive off a boost panel, and take two left turns to enter a cannon located beneath the Hadrian's Arch, taking them back up to the Acropolis via a tunnel. After exiting the tunnel and taking a left turn, racers make their way back to the Parthenon to reach the finish line.
This route also appears as Athens Dash R (reversed), Athens Dash T (with ramps), and Athens Dash R/T (reversed with ramps). In the R variant, a road connecting to the Theatre of Dionysus that is not present on the minimap is used.
Additionally, Athens Dash R/T starts in a different location compared to the other variants, and is one of five courses in Mario Kart Tour that do not start in the same place as the original, the others being 3DS Rock Rock Mountain T, 3DS Rainbow Road T, 3DS Rainbow Road R/T, and Singapore Speedway R/T. In this case, the starting line is instead located in the middle of the Gliding section by Hadrian's Arch.
Appearances
For this course's tour appearances, see List of Athens Dash tour appearances in Mario Kart Tour § Athens Dash.
Top-tier and middle-tier items
Select "show" to reveal the drivers, karts, and gliders for which Athens Dash and its variants are always favored or favorite courses. For instances in which additional drivers, karts, and gliders temporarily had this course and its variants as favored or favorite courses, see List of Athens Dash tour appearances in Mario Kart Tour.
| Course | Three-item drivers | Bonus points ×2 karts | Combo bonus ×3 gliders | Two-item drivers | Bonus points ×1.5 karts | Combo bonus ×2 gliders |
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 Normal variant |
          
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 T variant |
    
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 R/T variant |
  
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| * indicates a favored course upgraded to a favorite course after reaching level 3. ** indicates a favored course upgraded to a favorite course after reaching level 6. *** indicates a favored course upgraded to a favorite course after reaching level 8 for High-End items. | ||||||
Bonus challenges
| Do Jump Boosts | |||||||
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| Icon | Course variant | Chosen driver |
Chosen kart |
Chosen glider |
Grand Star scores | Tour appearances | Cup |
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Regular |  Toad |
 Pipe Frame |
 Super Glider |
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Spring Tour |  Fire Rosalina Cup |
| Big Reverse Race | ||||||||||||
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| Icon | Course variant | Opponents | Tour appearances | Cup | ||||||||
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Spring Tour |  Dry Bowser Cup |
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| Icon | Course variant | Chosen driver |
Chosen kart |
Chosen glider |
Grand Star scores | Tour appearances | Cup |
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Regular |  Boomerang Bro |
Pipe Frame |
Super Glider |
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Vacation Tour |  Boomerang Bro Cup |
Athens Dash 2
This route starts in the opposite direction of the other one. After leaving the Parthenon, racers take a left turn and approach the Erechtheion briefly before taking a glider ramp into a street resembling Monastiraki, driving down many sets of staircases as they approach a wide U-bend. After the U-bend, racers approach the Roman Agora, avoiding Thwomps. Racers then begin driving uphill, avoiding boulders that fall down the Acropolis. Here, there is a shortcut in a narrow tunnel that requires destroying a wooden cutout of a Goomba. Once up the Acropolis, players drive beneath the Beulé Gate and the Propylaea. After a brief straightaway, they approach the finish line.
This route also appears as Athens Dash 2R (reversed), Athens Dash 2T (with ramps), and Athens Dash 2R/T (reversed with ramps).
Appearances
For this course's tour appearances, see List of Athens Dash tour appearances in Mario Kart Tour § Athens Dash 2.
Top-tier and middle-tier items
Select "show" to reveal the drivers, karts, and gliders for which Athens Dash 2 and its variants are always favored or favorite courses. For instances in which additional drivers, karts, and gliders temporarily had this course and its variants as favored or favorite courses, see List of Athens Dash 2 tour appearances in Mario Kart Tour.
| Course | Three-item drivers | Bonus points ×2 karts | Combo bonus ×3 gliders | Two-item drivers | Bonus points ×1.5 karts | Combo bonus ×2 gliders |
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 Normal variant |
 
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 R/T variant |
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| * indicates a favored course upgraded to a favorite course after reaching level 3. ** indicates a favored course upgraded to a favorite course after reaching level 6. *** indicates a favored course upgraded to a favorite course after reaching level 8 for High-End items. | ||||||
Bonus challenges
| Time Trial | |||||||
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| Icon | Course variant | Chosen driver |
Chosen kart |
Chosen glider |
Grand Star scores | Tour appearances | Cup |
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Regular |  Hammer Bro |
 Pipe Frame |
 Super Glider |
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Spring Tour |  Peachette Cup |
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 Pipe Frame |
 Super Glider |
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Vacation Tour |  Bowser Cup |
Mario Kart 8 Deluxe
Athens Dash returns in Mario Kart 8 Deluxe as part of Wave 5 of the Booster Course Pass DLC. It appears as the first course of the Feather Cup. It has received significant visual upgrades compared to its appearance in Mario Kart Tour. The cannon from the first route has been replaced with a normal Glide Ramp. A route that is not used in Mario Kart Tour is also used in this version, making Athens Dash the second city course to use routes that are not released for Tour as of their debut in the Booster Course Pass, after Tour Sydney Sprint. The course features a second starting line (along the Athens Dash 3 route), making it the second course in the Mario Kart series to open a cup and use sections (after Wuhu Loop in Mario Kart 7) and the third course in the series to feature both laps and sections, the first two being N64 Kalimari Desert and Tour Singapore Speedway (though unlike those tracks, the section replaces the second lap rather than the third). It is used to begin lap 2, while lap 3 starts in reverse along the Athens Dash 2 route.[1] The beginning ramp was changed to a wooden one, leading to the raised pillar route being adjusted and the split path at the bottom being removed. Some pillars now fall akin to Dry Dry Ruins, and all the pillars are lengthened. The Thwomps have been removed.
Athens Dash is one of three courses from Mario Kart Tour to be present in the fifth wave, alongside Tour Los Angeles Laps and Tour Vancouver Velocity.
Internally, the course is referred to as "Cnsw_65", implying it may have originally been intended to be the first course of the Spiny Cup.
On the Nintendo Switch's newsfeed in North America, an article erroneously names this course as Tour Athens Drift.[2]
Unlike other city courses that do not use staff ghosts from their home nations, Athens Dash has a Spanish staff ghost, rather than an American or Japanese one.
Profiles
- Mario Kart Tour Twitter:
- Here's a sneak peek of what's to come in #MarioKartTour! Toad and Yoshi went ahead to check out the new tour location and sent a picture back. It looks like some races are about to heat up in a historic city with towering temples.[3]
- The Yoshi Tour is wrapping up in #MarioKartTour. Next up is the Spring Tour featuring the course Athens Dash course[sic], along with other European city courses![4]
Gallery
Mario Kart Tour
Athens Dash
Course icons
The course icon with Toad (Tourist)
The course icon with Daisy (Thai Dress)
The course icon of the R variant with Kitsune Luigi
The course icon of the R variant with the Spike Mii Racing Suit
The course icon of the T variant with Light-blue Shy Guy (Explorer)
The course icon of the R/T variant with Luigi (Chef)
The course icon of the R/T variant with the Rocky Wrench Mii Racing Suit
The course icon of the R/T variant with the Fish Bone Mii Racing Suit
Screenshots
View of the starting line
Alternative view of the starting line
View of Hadrian's Arch
View of the Theatre of Dionysus
View of some pillars
View of the Parthenon
Alternate View of the Parthenon
The statue of Athena
View of the statue of Athena & the Parthenon
Athens Dash in the trailer for the Spring Tour
Toad (Tourist) and Rosalina (Volendam) on Athens Dash
Athens Dash 2
Course icons
The course icon with Toad (Astronaut)
The course icon with Daisy (Thai Dress)
The course icon of the R variant with Toadette (Sailor)
The course icon of the R variant with Boomerang Bro
The course icon of the T variant with Light-blue Shy Guy (Explorer)
The course icon of the T variant with Cat Mario
The course icon of the R/T variant with Daisy (Sailor)
The course icon of the R/T variant with Poochy
Screenshots
View of the urban area resembling Monastiraki
View of a staircase
View of the road up the Acropolis
Alternate view of the staircase
Athens Dash 3
Screenshots
View of the split path around the fountain and the entrance to the tunnel
Peach (Vacation), Gold Mario, Luigi (Gold Knight), Daisy (Thai Dress), Donkey Kong (Gladiator), Rosalina (Volendam), Toad (Tourist), and Pauline driving on the course
Mario Kart 8 Deluxe
Names in other languages
| Language | Name | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| Japanese | アテネ ポリス Atene Porisu |
Athens Polis;「ポリス」is a transliteration of "πόλης", a Greek word meaning "city". |
| Chinese | 雅典城邦 Yǎdiǎn Chéngbāng |
Athens Polis |
| Dutch | Athene-Trip |
Athens Trip |
| French | Athènes antique |
Ancient Athens |
| German | Athen auf Abwegen |
Astray in Athens |
| Italian | Alture di Atene |
Athens Heights |
| Korean | 아테네 폴리스 Atene Polliseu |
Athens Polis |
| Portuguese | Cenas de Atenas |
Athens Scenes |
| Russian | Афинские красоты Afinskiye krasoty |
Athenian Beauty |
| Spanish (NOA) | Periplo ateniense |
Athenian periplus |
| Spanish (NOE) | Atenas de Altura |
Athens of Height |
References
- ^ @NintendoAmerica (July 7, 2023). "The Feather Cup arrives in Wave 5 of the #MarioKart 8 Deluxe – Booster Course Pass! Enjoy two classic courses in Daisy Cruiser and Moonview Highway, a historical tour with Athens Dash and the brand new course, Squeaky Clean Sprint!" Twitter. Retrieved July 9, 2023.
- ^ July 11, 2023. Mario Kart 8 Deluxe – Booster Course Pass: More courses! More characters! More … giant toilets?! nintendo.com. Retrieved July 28, 2023. (Archived July 12, 2023, 02:57:16 UTC via Wayback Machine.)
- ^ mariokarttourEN (April 13, 2023). Twitter. Retrieved April 14, 2023.
- ^ mariokarttourEN (April 14, 2023). Twitter. Retrieved August 5, 2023.
