Mario Kart World is the most expansive game in the franchise yet and makes a compelling case for buying 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 about Mario 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.
10
Ninja Hideaway
Ninja Hideaway was not an addition to Mario Kart 8 Deluxe I 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 in Mario Kart Tour and Mario Kart 8 Deluxe, so it doesn’t need to be in Mario Kart World, but I really hope it is.
9
Sweet Sweet Canyon
Sweet Sweet Canyon is a standout track from Mario Kart 8 thanks 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.
The Mario Kart series has several courses themed after desserts, making it almost effortless for Nintendo to dedicate an entire zone to food.
8
Mushroom Bridge
Courses with traffic have been around since Toad’s Turnpike in Mario 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 since Mario 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 for Mario Kart Tour. However, the gameplay in Mario Kart Tour is different from traditional games in the series, and its tracks don’t incorporate the mechanics Mario Kart World is introducing.
7
Delfino Square
Debuting in Mario Kart DS, Delfino Square has only appeared one other time in Mario Kart Wii. The scenic Super Mario Sunshine locale is an ideal choice for a returning track, especially given the bright, breezy color scheme Mario Kart World exhibits. 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.
6
Choco Island 2
Serving as an introduction to the harder tracks in Super Mario Kart, Choco Island 2 has been in several games, though the last mainline one was Mario 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 in Mario Kart 8 Deluxe. The new gameplay mechanics introduced in Mario Kart World could be used to revitalize Choco Island 2 and make it as deadly as it was on the SNES.
5
Mount Wario
Wario tracks are consistently among the best in the series. You could add all of them to Mario Kart World and I highly doubt anyone would complain. That being said, Mount Wario was a noteworthy course that recently debuted in Mario 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.
4
Lakeside Park
Serving as the sequel to Riverside Park, Lakeside Park is the first track in Mario Kart: Super Circuit’s Special 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 for Mario Kart 8 Deluxe, so it seems fitting to remake Lakeside Park for Mario Kart World.
3
Bowser’s Castle (N64)
Bowser’s Castle was easily one of the most memorable courses in Mario 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.
Recent Mario Kart games seem to love adding variations of Bowser’s Castle as retro tracks, and this one hasn’t been seen since Mario Kart Wii, making it an easy pick.
2
Frappe Snowland
Last appearing in Mario Kart Tour about five years ago, Frappe Snowland is a relatively simple snow track that could really benefit from being remade for Mario 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.
1
Dry 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 World is 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 Deluxe added 48 courses after it launched, and it stands to reason Mario Kart World will 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.
