N64 Mario Raceway
- This article is about the race course from Mario Kart 64 and retro course in Mario Kart Wii. For other race tracks with similar names, see Mario Circuit.
Mario Raceway, known as Mario Circuit in Japan, is the fourth and last course in the Flower Cup of Mario Kart 64 and is the second shortest course of the game after Moo Moo Farm. The course returns in Mario Kart Wii as the last course of the Shell Cup. This track shares its music with Luigi Raceway, Wario Stadium, and Royal Raceway.
Course layout
The course features Mario's red cap on the top of the course's terrace, next to the starting line. The road is made of concrete, just like Luigi Raceway and Royal Raceway. Although the course has no pit hazards it's filled in rough grass, and running over them will cause any kart to slow down. However, using a speed booster as a Mushroom or a Star, drivers can make shortcuts through the grass and dust. Piranha Plants are an obstacle found over the grass, and bumping into one causes the Kart to spin around. Many Piranha Plants are located near to the corners.
Upon getting to the first turn, the racers will go near a hill to take a semi-circular turn surrounding a big toadstool. A long stretch of the road will come next, leading the racers to a curl S bend and pass through a Warp Pipe tunnel. The racers end crossing the finish line once they exit out of the pipe.
Mario Kart Wii
Mario Raceway returns in Mario Kart Wii as the last track of the Shell Cup. Some of the new elements added to the track are a ramp to perform tricks in the middle of the rough grass past the toadstool, and Shine Sprites can be seen on the "Mario Star" advertisements on the side of the course near the finish line. The Warp Pipe tunnel also allows tricking off the sides as the racer comes out. In addition, the first Mario Kart Wii tournament of November 2008 was on this course, with extra obstacles such as Pokeys from DS Desert Hills and Dry Dry Ruins, and oil slicks from SNES Mario Circuit 3.
Tournaments
In Mario Kart Wii, a tournament took place on this course. It was a time trial race, in which players used the Golden Mushroom to get the fastest time possible. Oil slicks and Pokeys also made an appearance. The tournament was the second tournament of November 2008. It was later repeated as the second tournament of November 2010, the second tournament of March 2012, and the first tournament of June 2013.
Profiles
Mario Kart 64
- Instruction manual: Although the distance of one lap is fairly short, it has complex corners and numerous hairpin curves. The course, named after our mascot, is highly recommended by the game designers as their favorite Time Trials course.
- Website: The "official" course in Mario Kart 64, Mario Raceway is a quick circuit track with a variety of turns to test your Kart handling skill. [1]
Mario Kart Wii
- Websites
"A back-to-basics drifter's paradise with a single ramp perfectly placed for shortcuts across the grass."
"Drift your way around wide turns and through the pipe tunnel as you dart in-between the lush green hills of Mario Raceway. That's what the sell-out crowd came to see!"
- Trading Card bio: "Certainly one of Mario's favorite stomping grounds, N64 Mario Raceway makes another appearance on the Mario Kart circuit. May not be an overly difficult track, but it's definitely one that has a lot of opportunities to define, practice and refine your driving strategies. You should be boosting out of every turn."
Sponsors
Mario Kart 64
- Koopa Air (Signs)
- Luigi's (Signs)
- Mario Star (Trackside banners, signs)
- Nintendo (Signs)
- Shot! (Signs)
- Yoshi (Signs)
Mario Kart Wii
- KoopaKart (Trackside banners)
- Luigi Grand Prix (Trackside banners)
- Mario Racing (Trackside banners)
- Nintendo (Trackside banners, flags)
- Shoot! (Trackside banners)
- Yoshi (Trackside banners)
Gallery
Mario Kart 64
The course icon
Luigi, Peach and Toad racing on this course in the demo movie.
Mario racing on this course in the demo movie.
Yoshi racing on this course in the demo movie.
Luigi, Peach and Toad racing on this course in the Japanese demo movie.
Mario racing on this course in the Japanese demo movie.
The course in the Japanese demo movie.
Luigi, Peach, Bowser and Toad racing on this course in the European demo movie.
Bowser racing on this course in the European demo movie.
The first circle turn with the giant mushroom
The long stretch
The large pipe before reaching the finish line
The course in the staff credits
The course in the Japanese staff credits
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Mario Kart Wii
The course banner
The beginning of the track
The large mushroom, along with some Piranha Plants
The ramp shortcut
The rotating sign appears different from the original
The large pipe
Names in other languages
| Language | Name | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| Japanese | マリオサーキット Mario Sākitto |
Mario Circuit |
| Chinese | 马力欧赛道 Mǎlìōu Sàidào |
Mario Speedway |
| German | Marios Rennpiste |
Mario's Racetrack |
| Italian | Pista di Mario |
Mario's Track |
| Korean | 마리오 서킷 Mario Seokit |
Mario Circuit |
| Spanish (NOA) | Pista de Mario |
Mario's Track |
| Spanish (NOE) | Pista Mario |
Mario Track |
Trivia
- In Mario Kart 64, the player can press the
Button on the title screen to display the best time recorded for Mario Raceway. - The rotating "Go" signs use Mario's artwork from Super Mario World in the N64 version. The Wii version features new artwork.
- In an early build, the first rotating "Go" sign was absent, and in its place was a Nintendo sign.
