Arguably, one of the main draws ofMario Kart Worldis the massive world to explore at your own pace in free roam, but the stars of the show are still the actual courses. Even though these courses now have to somewhat fit within the larger geography of Mario Kart World, this has done nothing to dull their usual luster, and they’re still just as jaw-dropping as you’d expect.
In spite of that, some of these courses are a lot more fun to race around than others, and some are even more fun to explore in free roam, too. There’s something for everyone, but here are the courses that we think you’ll keep coming back to.
10Boo Cinema
Leaf Cup
The classic Mario ghost has been behind some of the best (and worst) courses throughout the illustrious Mario Kart series, but somehow Boo Cinema is still a standout among the rest. It’s surprising that a cinema has never inspired a course before, and the retro style here fits the spooky vibe perfectly.
While the layout of the course itself isn’t anything mind-blowing (and is slightly carried by its theme), the highlight is the mid-section, where you’ll leap into the screen and drive over reels of film with a grainy filter applied on top.
9Faraway Oasis
Shell Cup
Compared to some of the more grand and conceptual tracks found throughout Mario Kart World, Faraway Oasis feels decidedly more humble with its simple oasis premise. However, it utilizes that simplicity to create a classic-feeling course that’s a joy to race on.
At the start, you’ll work up steep ramps and tight roads, likely forced into conflictswith other racersgiven how little space there is to work with, and then you’re left to fall onto the river rapids. With multiple paths, tight turns, and a gorgeous waterfall section, the last half of the track has plenty of chances for the tides to turn.
8Starview Peak
Star Cup
Taking clear inspiration from Rosalina’s Comet Observatory from the Mario Galaxy series, the iconic hub is given an icy makeover to fit the snowy section of the map it’s found in. The start of the course will have you speeding around a constantly curving series of roads, where you’ll only make it to the front if you can perfectly time your drifts.
For the second half, you’ll race over a beautiful cosmic water road. The road is made even wider, giving you plenty of chances toslip ahead of any rivals, but also just as many chances to lose your place. With a few boosts and plenty of item blocks, it’s likely this last stretch of the tracks will cause chaos.
7Airship Fortress
Flower Cup
After thebooster course of Mario Kart 8 Deluxe, it felt like almost every fan-favourite track from Mario Kart history got another chance in the spotlight, all except one. Clearly, Nintendo wanted to keep Airship Fortress, originally from Mario Kart DS, for World, and it was worth the wait since the new changes make it even better than before.
The combination of tight turns and long drift segments makes it a unique course to race on, and it’s full of obstacles like giant Bullet Bills and flaming pillars. You’ll get a brief moment to breathe in the new gliding section, but aside from that, this is one of the most overwhelming courses in the game.
6Great ? Block Ruins
Banana Cup
While most of the courses in Mario Kart World have a clear place on the island, if you’re looking to get to the Great ? Block Ruins, you’ll need to be shot up from a massive ramp to make your way to this golden ? block-themed course.
Being one of the twistiest tracks in the game, you’ll need to have mastered drifting and have a kart with the best handling possible if you don’t want to find yourself accidentally going off-road. With plenty of verticality and multiple pathways, finding the optimal route through Great ? Block Ruins is a challenge worth attempting.
5Whistlestop Summit
Mushroom Cup
There are various new features in Mario Kart World, and one of the most noticeable is the addition of grind rails to add more variety to jumps and tricks. While these show up in plenty of different courses, none are as foundationally built around grind rails as Whistlestop Summit.
Throughout the entire length of the course, you’ll have access to at least one grind rail, and it adds an extra layer of strategy that makes it a unique course to race. Knowing when each rail is the best option, and when to hop on or off, will keep you on your toes, and it’s not a good idea to stay on one rail for too long, since you’re a much easier target for items.
4Acorn Heights
Special Cup
Situated at the northernmost point of the Mario Kart World Map is the stunning Acorn Heights. Mario Kart isn’t new to tracks which have you working all the way to the top and then going back down (DK Mountain), this isn’t even the first time it’s been done on a giant tree (Wild Woods), but that just makes it all the more impressive that Acorn Heights still manages to stand out.
You’ll start near the top of the tree, be sent through a chaotic enclosed space to race to the glide section at the top, which will gradually send you back down. Then it’s a case of surviving the layers of giant leaves and mushrooms to get to the steep incline (dodging vines and falling acorns) to hopefully make your way back to the starting line.
3Crown City
Mushroom & Shell Cup
You might think that including the same course in multiple cups is just Nintendo being lazy, but when you really take in the scale of Crown City, it all starts to make sense. Depending on whether you visit the metropolis during the Mushroom or the Shell Cup, you’ll get a completely different experience racing through the city.
Whether it’s the multi-tiered central main stretch, the construction site looming above the city, or the litany of streets and side roads trailing in and out of the buildings, there’s plenty to explore. If there is one area in World that has the most secrets, it’s Crown City.
2Peach Beach
One of the reasons Mario Kart fans are so excited to see retro courses return is that these courses are rarely recreated in their original form, but instead reimagined and often improved. Peach Beach is a perfect example of this.
For the first lap, you’ll do the classic beach-bound circuit, and surely, if it’s not broken, don’t fix it, but the course is made all the better when the second and third laps take you in a whole new direction. You’ll go off the beach, into the attached town, gliding, grinding, and wall jumping until you make it back into the sea to race the final stretch until the end.
1Rainbow Road
Rainbow Road being the best course in a Mario Kart game? Fork found in kitchen. No one is surprised when Nintendo decides to pull out all the stops for Rainbow Road, and they’re more aware of it than ever, with Rainbow Road being the only course you’ll actually need to unlock.
The four-lap marathon takes inspiration from multiple previous iterations of Rainbow Roads, with more classic-feeling intergalactic sections, paired with more mechanical spaceship-themed sections like in the third lap. Each lap is split up with a gorgeous glide between, and there are plenty of hidden details, like the train at the end carrying characters from all around the rest of the Mario Kart World map.
