Mario KartWorldis the most expansive game in the franchise yet and makes a compelling case forbuying a Switch 2 at launch. Based on preview footage Nintendo has shared, it’s confirmed an exciting series staple is returning: retro tracks. These are courses from previous games that have been remade to fit the newest game’s mechanics.
Since there’s still much we don’t know aboutMario Kart World, I’m wondering what other retro tracks will be present. While there are fan favorites like Coconut Mall that seem like an easy inclusion, there are quite a few courses we haven’t seen in a while and deserve to be remade on the Switch 2.
10Ninja Hideaway
Ninja Hideaway was not an addition toMario Kart 8 DeluxeI was expecting to love as much as I did. Sporting several paths to choose from, you can take a different route every lap of a race, giving you a lot of options every time you play.
Based on a Japanese dojo, each area is inherently unique and has something new happening; not to mention the environment itself is gorgeous. The stage’s theme is also infectiously catchy. Ninja Hideaway was inMario Kart TourandMario Kart 8 Deluxe, so it doesn’t need to be inMario Kart World, but I really hope it is.
9Sweet Sweet Canyon
Sweet Sweet Canyon is a standout track fromMario Kart 8thanks to the bright color palette and the fact it’s based on sweets. As you can imagine, the entire course revolves around different desserts. Gingerbread man spectators, a geyser of syrup, towering cakes, and even a shortcut through a donut are all present as you race, making victory taste as sweet as the track itself.
TheMario Kartseries has several courses themed after desserts, making it almost effortless for Nintendo to dedicate an entire zone to food.
8Mushroom Bridge
Courses with traffic have been around since Toad’s Turnpike inMario Kart 64, appearing in almost every entry since then. They also have a history of showing up in subsequent games as retro tracks, and considering Mushroom Bridge hasn’t appeared in a mainline Mario Kart entry sinceMario Kart DS, now is as good a time as any.
Considering we now have 24 players in a race at a time, the chaos of having to dodge items, other racers, and conventional traffic is the best kind of chaos we could ask for.
A few tracks on this list, such as Mushroom Bridge and Lakeside Park, have been remade forMario Kart Tour.However, the gameplay inMario Kart Touris different from traditional games in the series, and its tracks don’t incorporate the mechanicsMario Kart Worldis introducing.
7Delfino Square
Debuting inMario Kart DS, Delfino Square has only appeared one other time inMario Kart Wii. The scenicSuper Mario Sunshinelocale is an ideal choice for a returning track, especially given the bright, breezy color schemeMario Kart Worldexhibits. The course itself could also easily be made to accommodate 24 people.
Between the alternate paths, the abundant boxes blocking your path, the huge bridge jump, and the dancing Piantas, it would be as hectic as it is beautiful.
6Choco Island 2
Serving as an introduction to the harder tracks inSuper Mario Kart, Choco Island 2 has been in several games, though the last mainline one wasMario Kart DS. The track itself is pretty simplistic, with the only real concerns being the piranha plants in the mud pool and the dirt mounds that can disorient you.
However, remade courses tend to have noticeable enhancements, as shown with the additions inMario Kart 8 Deluxe. The new gameplay mechanics introduced inMario Kart Worldcould be used to revitalize Choco Island 2 and make it as deadly as it was on the SNES.
5Mount Wario
Wario tracks are consistently among the best in the series. You could add all of them toMario Kart Worldand I highly doubt anyone would complain. That being said, Mount Wario was a noteworthy course that recently debuted inMario Kart 8, so it’s still fairly new.
You begin by racing out of a plane at the top of a mountain and all three laps of the course task you with navigating to the bottom. The action never lets up, making it an exciting romp all the way to the end.
4Lakeside Park
Serving as the sequel to Riverside Park, Lakeside Park is the first track inMario Kart: Super Circuit’sSpecial Cup. Though seemingly straightforward, it has a ton of incredibly sharp turns and acts as a sort of skill check for players when it comes to drifting. Falling lava boulders from the erupting volcano in the distance serve as a recurring hazard, making the course more difficult than you might think.
Riverside Park was remade forMario Kart 8 Deluxe, so it seems fitting to remake Lakeside Park forMario Kart World.
3Bowser’s Castle (N64)
Bowser’s Castle was easily one of the most memorable courses inMario Kart 64. King Koopa’s abode is littered with Thwomps seemingly around every other turn. These, along with narrow corridors and tight corners, make it one of the hardest tracks in the game.
RecentMario Kartgames seem to love adding variations of Bowser’s Castle as retro tracks, and this one hasn’t been seen sinceMario Kart Wii, making it an easy pick.
2Frappe Snowland
Last appearing inMario Kart Tourabout five years ago, Frappe Snowland is a relatively simple snow track that could really benefit from being remade forMario Kart World. The course has giant snow versions of Yoshi and Mario, along with a veritable minefield of snowmen that racers have to avoid near the end.
Having to navigate through that while fending off 23 other people and trying not to fall off the bridge into the icy water at the end sounds as fun as it does terrifying.
1Dry Dry Ruins
There are two snowy levels on this list, so it only seems fair to include a desert one too. Dry Dry Ruins has you navigating a wide, winding track while outside in the sand before becoming much more narrow and tight as you enter ruins.
Pokeys are scattered throughout the course (because of course they are) and it seems like there’s a new hazard to avoid at every turn, making it a tricky but satisfying track that deserves a glow-up.
Mario Kart Worldis seemingly the most ambitious entry in the series thanks to gameplay mechanics like 24 people racing at a time and the entire set of tracks being connected to one another.
Mario Kart 8 Deluxeadded 48 courses after it launched, and it stands to reasonMario Kart Worldwill similarly remake older tracks down the line. Though every course in the series has charm in its own way, the entries on this list could use the extra love.
