Our Top 25 Mario Kart Track Themes
Hello! Cory and Chase from Edwards Bros. Reviews here.
Ahhh, Mario Kart. Never has there been a more enrapturing, lovable, maddening, and infuriating multiplayer experience than the one this franchise provides. We’ve all been there: on the cusp of a triumphant victory, only to be mowed down by that darn blue shell.
That…blue…shell…
Anyway, besides the amazingly agonizing multiplayer experience, what else is there to note about this beloved franchise? Well, the music, for one thing. This series has some of the best tunes to ever come from a video game console, be it from the original SNES installment or the latest Wii U edition. With that in mind, we decided to count down our picks for the top 25 Mario Kart track themes, from all the installments in the series. Writing this list was quite a challenge because halfway through Chase turned to me and asked:
“You just wanna play some Mario Kart?”
And we did.
#25: Ribbon Road (Mario Kart 8)
This course was originally on the GBA version, Mario Kart Super Circuit, but this track’s theme was vastly improved when it made the jump to the Wii U version, Mario Kart 8. This track’s tune sounds like something out of a 60s surfin’ montage. Kinda cheesy, but definitely induces the urge to race. This is a perfect song to compliment the wackiness of the series.
#24: Donut Plains (Super Mario Kart)
Oh, Super Mario Kart. You were definitely revolutionary for your time, but you’re awkward and hard to play now. That isn’t to say we don’t appreciate your legacy. Without you, we wouldn’t have all the great installments we’ve grown so fond of over the years. It was kinda tough to pick a 16-bit song for the list, but we decided to go with the bright, catchy tune that compliments the Donut Plains track. Charming in its simplicity, this track is delightfully enjoyable.
#23: Shy Guy Falls (Mario Kart 8)
Mario Kart 8 is an amazing installment in the already legendary series, adding antigravity elements and refining other gameplay facets. This tune, highlighted by woodwinds and string sections, is an awesome track that is only made better by the stunning HD visuals, although hearing the Shy Guys performing hard labor in the background is a bit unsettling.
#22: Daisy Hills (Mario Kart 7)
If I were to use one word to describe this song, it’d be “joyful.” This tune sounds right out of a Kirby game, with the catchy woodwinds corresponding with the accordion to make a song that is hard to get out of your head. Combine this with the nice visuals of balloons, bridges, and goats, and you have a great Mushroom Cup course.
#21: Bowser’s Castle (Mario Kart Super Circuit)
Along with Rainbow Road, Bowser’s Castle is the only course name to appear in every game in the series. With that said, the GBA version has the best tune, with its rock-inspired sound getting you pumped up to race. Combined with the typical lava and treacherous paths, you have a course that lives up to the Bowser name.
#20: Moo Moo Farm/ Yoshi Valley (Mario Kart 64)
This hootenanny of a song is perfect for the visuals of farm animals and western-inspired landscapes. It almost makes you wanna jump out of your kart and start square dancing. Ok, even if the image of Yoshi and Donkey Kong square dancing is too dumb for one to imagine, you gotta admit that if it were to happen, this tune would definitely be playing in the background. Also, hitting the adorable cows with shells in the Wii version of this course is so much fun. Poor cows…
#19: Animal Crossing (Mario Kart 8)
Inspired by the series of the same name, this track’s song is unique because it changes each time you play. Depending on when you play it, the course is spring, summer, fall, or winter inspired. In spring, the track is laden with pipes and starts with some horns. In summer, you got some strings. In autumn, the tune has some mild guitar, and in winter, it’s Christmas-sounding. A very unique track, mostly because it’s four different tracks!
#18: Waluigi Pinball/ Wario Stadium (Mario Kart DS)
Many an afternoon at Chesapeake Middle School was spent playing Mario Kart DS and sending stupid messages on the now archaic Pictochat, especially during school Christmas parties. Waluigi Pinball is arguably the most memorable track on Mario Kart DS, and the music that accompanies it is techno-inspired and energetic enough to keep the party going.
#17: Baby Park (Mario Kart: Double Dash)
Mario Kart: Double Dash is the best game in the series. Don’t @ us. Baby Park is the wackiest and most chaotic track in maybe the entire series, and this zany song compliments it perfectly. The tiny oval shaped track lends itself well to unpredictable attacks and opportunities to screw your friends over.
#16: Toad’s Turnpike (Mario Kart 64)
To hell with all these highway levels with realistic cars on them. To hell with them, we say! However, the music that accompanies this course is reminiscent of techno music and lends a calming mood, which contrasts the bullshittyness of these courses quite well. Seriously though, to hell with ‘em.
#15: Rosalina’s Ice World (Mario Kart 7)
I’m not sure why Rosalina would have an ice world to begin with, given that she’s some weird cosmic entity, but this course is great fun. This wintery-sounding tune is very catchy and is sure to get stuck in your head. Also, the piano in the track is beautiful.
#14: Koopa Cape (Mario Kart Wii)
This track is hilarious with its wacky instrumentals, but once the laughter subsists, you realize just how catchy the track actually is. Reminds us of some crazy kids show from the 90s. Once the crazy section settles down, (cleverly done when the player goes through an underwater tunnel) the track becomes soothing and calming. An awesome track with two different moods on the Mario Kart spectrum, this is definitely one of the best on Mario Kart Wii.
#13: Desert Hills (Mario Kart DS)
What Mario Kart-related list would be complete without a desert-inspired track? We feel that this tune from Mario Kart DS is the best of all the desert themes. While all the other desert tunes feel somewhat monotonous, we think this one is the most catchy and enjoyable. In a “desert” of forgettable tracks, this one sticks out like a lovely oasis (see what we did there?).
#12: Mushroom Bridge/ Mushroom City (Mario Kart Double Dash)
Double Dash is the best Mario Kart in the entire series. Did we say that already? Well, it bears repeating. That game kicks so much ass that we have been through two separate copies of it over the years (still trying to find a third, but that game’s expensive for a Gamecube title!). Anyway, this tune that accompanies both mushroom-inspired courses perfectly compliments the hustle and bustle of the crowded highway levels, whereas Toad Turnpike’s music contrasted the style. This jazzy track is groovy to be sure, and is definitely a delight.
#11: Vanilla Lake (Super Mario Kart)
Returning to the original SNES installment, this track is one of the best 16-bit tunes we’ve ever heard. Very relaxing with a catchy melody, this is for sure the best song on the game that started it all, Super Mario Kart.
#10: Delfino Square (Mario Kart DS)
Inspired by Super Mario Sunshine, this course resides on the cheerful Isle Delfino. The music is super bright and amazingly catchy. Driven by an accordion melody, this is one of our favorite tracks on Mario Kart DS, both in the racing sense and music sense.
#9: Electrodrome (Mario Kart 8)
This is the closest the Mario franchise will ever come to making rave music. This electronica-inspired tune sounds like it’s straight out of a Daft Punk record or something like that. And if you ever wanted to see some Koopas and Shy Guys having a rave, this is the course for you. Let’s just hope they aren’t getting too lit in the club.
#8: Peach Beach/ Daisy Cruiser (Mario Kart Double Dash)
Maybe we’re just insanely nostalgic for Double Dash seeing as how it’s the Mario Kart game we’ve played the most, but we honestly believe it has the best music in the entire series. And this tune is no exception, with its Caribbean-inspired melodies and steel drum beat transporting the player to the beach or cruise of their dreams. Just stay away from the Cataquacks.
#7: Thwomp Ruins (Mario Kart 8)
The best track from Mario Kart 8, this tune starts off ominously, perfectly capturing the Indiana Jones-esque obstacles. Then the pipes chime in, completely transforming the mood from eerie to serene. With such a juxtaposition of emotions, this song captures the gamut of emotions Mario Kart induces in all of us. We might be diving a bit too deep into this…but trust us, this tune is stellar.
#6: Coconut Mall (Mario Kart Wii)
Coconut Mall is the most memorable course on Mario Kart Wii. Driving through the mall, on the escalators, taking shortcuts through random shops, and seeing your Miis in random obstacle cars is such a blast. The music for this track really does remind you of a mall, and is a perfect accompaniment to the course.
#5: Music Park (Mario Kart 7)
It seems like a no-brainer for a course named after music to have great music associated with it, and this course definitely does. One thing that makes it so enjoyable is that the player can interact with the course to produce accompanying music by drifting along piano keys. Also, the giant music notes produce drum sounds when they try to squish you. This course and the music paired with it are both brilliantly designed, and this is one of the most unique tracks in the Mario Kart series.
#4: Maple Treeway
The music in this course best summarized in one word: tranquil. Mario Kart has its share of calming songs, but this might be the most peaceful in the entire series. Pair that with the autumn-inspired scenery of the course itself and the cathartic experience of destroying your friends and enemies, and you’ve got one relieving experience…as long as you aren’t the one getting demolished.
#3: Circuit Theme (GCN)
Double Dash is the best entry in the entire- ok, you get the point. This track is so damn good they used it three times! And we can’t really blame them for doing so because we never get tired of hearing this tune. Amazingly catchy, upbeat, and charming, this is certainly one of the most endearing songs in the entire illustrious series.
#2: Rainbow Road (TIE: Mario Kart 64 and Double Dash)
It’s honestly surprising that we’ve made it this far without a tie, given the number of great songs in the franchise, and it couldn’t have been on a more fitting course than Rainbow Road, the bane of every Mario Kart player’s existence. Sure these courses are damnably frustrating, but they’re also the most recognizable tracks in the entire series (besides maybe Bowser’s Castle). We just couldn’t choose between Mario Kart 64’s and Double Dash’s renditions of the Rainbow Road theme. 64’s version is whimsical and uplifting, with a touch of sadness, which may be the “goodbye” element, reminiscent of closing credits of kids’ shows. Double Dash’s version is equal in emotion, but adds some triumphant horns in the background. No matter which one you prefer, you’re bound to hear one of the greatest pieces of video game music ever composed. These songs are full of happiness, sadness, the ecstasy of victory, the agony of defeat, and every other emotion in between.
#1: Sherbet Land (GCN)
It shouldn’t be a shock that we chose a song from Double Dash to top this list, since we’ve been singing its praises throughout the whole freakin’ thing. Sherbet Land’s music isn’t full of contrasting emotions like Rainbow Road or Thwomp Ruins. Rather, it oozes nothing but pure happiness and joy. And, after all, isn’t that really what Mario Kart is about in the first place? Sure, we get pissed when that blue shell hits us, or when we run into that banana we didn’t see until the last second, but those temporary episodes of anger are exactly that: temporary. Mario Kart as a whole is a joyful experience, and that’s why we keep coming back to it after all these years. That is why we chose Sherbet Land’s song as the definitive Mario Kart tune: because it summarizes the emotion that Mario Kart is all about, joy. And you get ice-skating Shy Guys, so what’s not to love? Seriously, listen to this and we guarantee you’ll want to go play in the snow.
Disagree? Let us know in the comments. Thanks for reading, and remember: getting hit with a blue shell is not worth a broken controller. Well, most of the time.
