Even if the thought of a free mobile version of Mario Kart isn't automatically your cup of tea, it's hard to deny the power of nostalgia that Nintendo has summoned with Mario Kart Tour. Not only are there dozens of characters from the entire history of the series, there are enough courses taken from previous games to bring a smile to anyone's face. In fact, you'll find tracks from Mario Kart games that graced a number of Nintendo consoles and handhelds, along with a few new layouts as well.
Let's rev up the engines (100CC or more, if you please) and check out every confirmed course you can race right now.
Which returning courses are in Mario Kart Tour?
This is probably the list that will interest most longtime Mario Kart fans. Mario Kart Tour allows you to challenge yourself with more than a dozen courses from days gone by, including a few that date all the way back to a time before dinosaurs, when Super NES consoles roamed the Earth.
Here are all the historic tracks in Mario Kart Tour that were in the game at launch, along with the games in which they first appeared:
- Mario Circuit 1 (Super Mario Kart)
- Choco Island 2 (Super Mario Kart)
- Koopa Troopa Beach (Mario Kart 64)
- Bowser's Castle 1 (Mario Kart: Super Circuit)
- Dino Dino Jungle (Mario Kart: Double Dash!!)
- Yoshi Circuit (Mario Kart: Double Dash!!)
- Luigi's Mansion (Mario Kart DS)
- Waluigi Pinball (Mario Kart DS)
- DK Pass (Mario Kart DS)
- Cheep Cheep Lagoon (Mario Kart 7)
- Toad Circuit (Mario Kart 7)
- Rock Rock Mountain (Mario Kart 7)
- Daisy Hills (Mario Kart 7)
- Shy Guy Bazaar (Mario Kart 7)
- Mario Circuit (Mario Kart 7)
The Tokyo Tour released in early October 2019, added a few more, including one with which longtime Mario Kart players have a love/hate relationship:
- Rainbow Road (Super Mario Kart)
- Kalimari Desert (Mario Kart 64)
- Neo Bowser City (Mario Kart 7)
Do the Mario Kart Tour courses appear in chronological order?
Definitely not. Each Cup in Mario Kart Tour is comprised of three races and one bonus stage. The three races can feature courses from anywhere on the above list, so it's a nice mix that keeps things unpredictable as you unlock new Cups.
Are there new courses made specifically for Mario Kart Tour?
Not only are there new courses, but the first one you'll encounter in the Mario Cup portion of the New York Tour is new. It's called New York Minute T (we'll get to that 'T' in a second), and as the name suggests, has you racing through a Mario-ized version of the Big Apple.
The Tokyo Tour update introduced Tokyo Blur, which has you racing by and through such well-known locations as Ginza, Sensō-ji and the Rainbw Bridge. It, too, has 'T,' 'R' and 'R/T' variations, which is a great transition to ...
I've seen people talk about 'R' and 'T' versions of courses -- what gives?
The game itself and Mario Kart Players use letters to denote reverse or trick variants of certain tracks. Most (but not all) courses have an 'R' version that has you race it in the reverse or opposite direction from which you may be accustomed, with slight changes if needed to pull it off. A layout with a 'T' means there are extra elments added (often ramps) to allow more tricks while racing.
Putting them both together for an 'R/T' version means you race the course in reverse and there are additional ramps, giving you the best of both worlds, challenge-wise.
Spot a new Mario Kart Tour we don't have listed here?
That's definitely possible, as Nintendo intends for Mario Kart Tour to be around for the long haul and figures to be adding more courses in future updates — and it's not like there's any danger of the source material running out any time soon. Give us a heads up in the comments section and we'll add it to the list.
Updated October 2019: Added courses introduced in Tokyo Tour update.
