Mario Kart Worldis getting a lot of attention for the new features it brings to the classic series, and rightfully so, but it’s also steeped in tradition. The standout element ofMKWis its unified open world, which renders all of its tracks interconnected. And while this is the highest resolutionMario Karthas ever been officially rendered in, it’s still largely the same old game. You hit as many jump and drift boosts as possible and use your items as tactically as you can.
It’s a tried-and-true (and incredibly successful) formula that dates all the way back to 1992, whenSuper Mario Kartdebuted on the Super Nintendo Entertainment System. The series' humble beginnings only feature eight playable characters, but if you fired up an SNES and tried playingSuper Mario Kart, you’ll still be in familiar territory, albeit with about 150 times fewer pixels. In fact, it’ll be so familiar you’ll find tracks almost identical to acourse inMario Kart World, which happens to hold a very special place in the series' history.
Mario Circuit 3 May Be The First Course Ever Designed For Mario Kart
One-Third Of Mario Kart World’s Mario Circuit
Found near the center ofMario Kart World’s map is Mario Circuit, a very humble track compared to the high-flying, multi-surface courses found elsewhere in the game. The entire course has almost no elevation changes, and sees you racing through relatively narrow roads lined with little more than big colored blocks and the franchise’s iconic green pipes. This is becauseMario Circuit dates back toSuper Mario Kart, and part of it may be the first track ever designed for aMario Kartgame.
According toSupper Mario Broth, a blog dedicated to researching the vast history of theSuper Mariofranchise,Mario Circuit 3 was the first course ever made for the series, per development files forSuper Mario Kart.Mario Kart World’s Mario Circuit includesSMK’s Mario Circuit 3 as the last of its three laps. Its other two laps are Mario Circuit 1 and Mario Circuit 2.
Supper Mario Broth notes the frequency of Mario Circuit 3 appearing in theMario Kartseries. It has now appeared in six installments:Super Mario Kart,Mario Kart: Super Circuit(Game Boy Advance),Mario Kart Wii,Mario Kart Tour(mobile),Mario Kart 8Deluxe(Switch, as part ofBooster Course Pass Wave 2), andMario Kart World. As mentioned,the reason it appears so often is likely because of its special place as the first-everMario Karttrack; it’s an homage to the series' infancy.
Mario Circuit’s Simplicity Helps It Stand Out In Mario Kart World
A Distillation Of Mario Kart
Mario Circuit is an oddity inMario Kart World, as it avoids practically all the game’s new features. It’s exceptionally cramped compared to the open roads found throughout most of the map, it doesn’t feature any rails to grind or walls to ride, and its track is entirely made of asphalt, as opposed to every other track, all of which have multiple driving surfaces. From a pure visual design concept, you might say it’s the most boring track inMario Kart World.
I’m a huge fan of its simplicity, though, since it makes Mario Circuit unique among a lineup of courses that dazzle with towering scenery. Playing Mario Circuit stripsMario Kart Worlddown to its most basic elements. It’s an extremely fast course; you may spend almost the entire race drifting. The sharp and frequent turns make it more mechanically demanding than the wide bends of other tracks. It’s a far cry from the spectacle and splendor of Rainbow Road.
It’s almost the antithesis of your averageMario Kart Worldtrack. Especially with the interconnected tracks and 24 players per race, there’s a distinct openness that makesMario Kart Worldfeel different. You have so much room to maneuver because you’re constantly dodging other players and their items, not just focusing on the track ahead. Mario Circuit bringsWorldback to a more classic style ofMario Kart, and it’s especially fun as a checkpoint in the Golden and Heart Rallies – the long-distance Knockout Tour routes suddenly throw you into the very technical Mario Circuit and spit you out the other side.
Celebrating Its Own History Has Always Been A Mario Kart Tradition
Nostalgic Kart Racing
There’s something to be said about nostalgia’s power over the gaming industry (what with so many remakes and remasters), but including tracks from previous games has always been a feature ofMario Kart. In fact, it’s very rare for aMario Kartgame to only include brand-new tracks;Mario Kart 64andDouble Dash!!are the only sequels that don’t include retro tracks.Mario Kart Worldhas a rather common ratio of roughly half of its courses being adaptations from previous installments.
It helpsMario Kartkeeps its sense of familiarity – if you’ve played one game in the series, you shouldn’t have any problems picking up any other.Mario Kart World’s characters, karts, and gimmicks may be different, but it’s nice being able to find that distilled, classic kart racing experience on Mario Circuit. Retro tracks are arguably what keptMario Kart 8 Deluxealive for so long, as its Booster Course Pass expansion brought very few brand-new tracks.
Mario Kart Worldis certainly new and exciting, but it’s also the same oldMario Kart. IncludingSuper Mario Kart’s Mario Circuit 3, the series' first-ever course, is a sign that Nintendo hasn’t forgotten the series' roots – if that wasn’t already obvious thanks to the wealth of retro tracks. Nintendo seems to have a fondness for its original course, and its inclusion inMario Kart Worldhas proved it to be timeless.
