Rainbow Road (Mario Kart)

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Rainbow Road
Mario Kart location
Rainbow Road 64 Mario Kart 8.jpg
The course, designed after how it appeared in Mario Kart 64, depicted in Mario Kart 8
First appearanceSuper Mario Kart
Created by
Information
TypeRace track

Rainbow Road is a level featured in the Mario Kart kart racing game series, developed and published by Nintendo. Presented as a rainbow-coloured racing course suspended in space, Rainbow Road is widely recognized as one of the most iconic elements of the Mario Kart series.

Summary[]

Rainbow Road customarily appears as the final original track of each game. It typically is among the most difficult to complete, since most of the Rainbow Road tracks have no rails to prevent the player from falling off the edges of the track during a turn, and oftentimes have tight curves, steep slopes, and wavy grounds.[1][2][3][4][5][6] The Rainbow Roads of some Mario Kart editions have been revised to be featured more than once throughout the series.

Super Mario Kart (1992)[]

Super Mario Kart's Rainbow Road is constructed from quadratic rainbow-colored tiles, with no rail at all, and all turns are at 90 degrees. Several flashing Thwomps appear throughout the course, and are uniquely able to wipe out racers just by touching them (as well as crushing them), although the Thwomps were removed when this track later appeared as a retro track in Mario Kart: Super Circuit.[7]

The track appears as an extra track in Mario Kart: Super Circuit and modernized in Mario Kart 7. In Mario Kart 8 Deluxe, it can be downloaded to be retrofitted.[8]

Mario Kart 64 (1996)[]

Mario Kart 64's Rainbow Road is the longest course in the series, at three laps of approximately two minutes each. It features rails throughout the length of the course, roving Chain Chomps, a large drop right after the starting line, and neon-light images of various characters in the distance. A version of this Rainbow Road also appears in the 'Joker Cup' of F-Zero X, where it is described as a "Psychedelic Experience" (and many of its rails are removed).[7]

The Mario Kart 64 version of Rainbow Road was featured as the first course in the Joker Cup for the 1998 video game F-Zero X. This version is also recreated in the sequels Mario Kart 8 and Mario Kart 8 Deluxe with three sections as opposed to three laps.[9][8]

Mario Kart: Super Circuit (2001)[]

Mario Kart: Super Circuit's Rainbow Road is set in space, with Bowser's Castle from Paper Mario floating in the background. It features rails at the start/finish line only; all other edges of the course are lined with jump ramps.[7]

Mario Kart: Double Dash!! (2003)[]

Mario Kart: Double Dash!!'s Rainbow Road is set high above a city at night, which could be a reference to the "Mushroom City" track earlier in the game. It includes sections with and without rails, and an upward-shooting air tunnel for the first time in the series. Much of the course is downhill, after which it features jumps, and a pipe that shoots racers to the highest point in the course. It also contains floating sculptures of various items, and in competitive play, Stars occasionally fall onto the track where a player can pick them up and gain temporary invincibility. It has the most pearlized colors of all Rainbow Roads, and its background music resembles that of the N64 Rainbow Road's.[7]

In multiplayer mode, due to details on scenery being lost to keep the game speed up, the whole city backdrop is completely removed, meaning this course, like the other Rainbow Roads, appears to be floating in space in the traditional manner.

Mario Kart DS (2005)[]

Mario Kart DS's Rainbow Road features a looping and a corkscrew-shaped sequence—a first for the Mario Kart series—and includes rails along a few turns of the course only. Its rainbow-colored striping runs along the length of the track, rather than from side to side (as in previous Rainbow Roads).[7]

Mario Kart Arcade GP (2005)[]

In the Mario Kart Arcade GP series of arcade racing games by Bandai Namco, there are two Rainbow Road themed tracks (Rainbow Coaster, for example, gives a very rollercoaster like experience much like the DS Rainbow Road and features a teleporter mid-stage). However, the difficulty level of these courses are much lower than the other Rainbow Roads, even with sections without walls.

Mario Kart Wii (2008)[]

In Mario Kart Wii, the Earth can be seen underneath the track. A comet tail engulfs Karts falling down, and a firework-like sound effect can be heard. The track features more ramps and gaps than earlier Mario Kart editions, starting with a steep ramp whose downward slope can be jumped over given enough speed, a section with two circular holes in the track to circumvent or jump over, several half-pipes at the side of the track (a unique characteristic of Mario Kart Wii), and is the second edition of Mario Kart whose Rainbow Road features an air tunnel. The soundtrack has the fastest tempo of Rainbow Roads in the series, and contains a reference to the theme of Super Mario Galaxy's "Good Egg Galaxy".[7]

In January 2021, a French speedrunner managed to complete a difficult shortcut three times in a row, which has been attempted for over a decade.[10]

Mario Kart 7 (2011)[]

In Mario Kart 7 for the Nintendo 3DS, the course is divided into three sections of one big lap rather than requiring the completion of three laps. The track makes use of the game's new air gliding feature at multiple locations. The background is a starry sky and there are few asteroids near the track. The moon which is driven on in the second section is visible from far throughout the track.

The first section features ramps, a downward spiral around an asteroid, a bounce surface, and a section with moving waves over the tracks. The second section features two flight ramps, planet ring as a drive track and a moon with reduced gravity and craters acting as ramps. The third section features a rotating tube to drive through, rings to fly through, asteroids to dodge, and a steep uphill and downhill slope.[7]

Mario Kart 8 (2014)[]

In Mario Kart 8 for the Wii U as well as its 2017 revision Mario Kart 8 Deluxe for the Nintendo Switch, the track uses three laps again instead of sections, and there is again a planet in the background with a higher resolution than that from Mario Kart Wii. The ground uses quadratic tiles in resemblance to the track in Super Mario Kart. At the start/finish line, the track crosses through a space craft. Several more space carriers with parts of the track are present, most notably the one with two conveyor belt-like rotating rings in opposing directions which can speed up or slow down the vehicle when driven upon.[11] As with other tracks from the game, the track surface is wildly twisted, and karts make use of the new anti-gravity feature. At a location, two separated parts of the track cross nearby in different angles, and distant parts of the track can be seen ahead from far away.[12]

According to Mario Kart 8 Deluxe producer Kosuke Yabuki, the development team's goal was to create a version of Rainbow Road with a "near-future" aesthetic when anti-gravity controls were added.[13][14]

Cultural impact[]

Rainbow Road is referenced as a part of an easter egg included in the programming of Tesla electric vehicles. According to Tesla CEO Elon Musk, once a Tesla car's autopilot mode is activated four times in quick succession, the gray road shown on the vehicle's instrument cluster would transform into a colorful path resembling Rainbow Road, with a cowbell tune playing in the background while this mode is turned on.[15] In commemoration of Mario Day celebrations for March 10, 2021, Hot Wheels released a Mario Kart track set based on the course on June 24, 2021.[2]

Reception[]

Rainbow Road has received a generally positive attention for its memorable music and unique visuals, as well as notoriety for its length and challenging difficulty. Edge Magazine described Rainbow Road as "the deadly ribbon that has entranced generations of racers".[1] Gus Turner from Complex described Rainbow Road as "simultaneously the most thrilling and most devastating level in any Mario Kart title".[16] Rainbow Road has appeared in multiple "top" ranking lists of the best tracks in the history of the Mario Kart franchise compiled by video game critics, including Paste Magazine,[17] Digital Spy,[18] Screen Rant,[19] and GameRevolution,[20] and TheGamer.[6]

The Rainbow Road levels in certain Mario Kart games have received particular attention. BuzzFeed News Reporter Joseph Bernstein ranked the Super Mario Kart version of Rainbow Road #15 on his list of the "34 Video Game Levels That You Must Play Before You Die".[21] Reminiscing the Super Mario Kart version of Rainbow Road, A. V. Club staff said the overall experience was awe-inspiring in spite of its flawed design and frustrating level of difficulty.[22] Its music has been praised by GamesRadar's Brett Elston [23] as well as Dan Neilan from The A.V. Club, who called it as the "one redeeming quality" of a notoriously difficult track.[24] Andrew Webster from The Verge praised the updated version of Rainbow Road for Mario Kart 8 as the best example of its "impressive new track design" and called it a vast improvement when compared to previous instalments.[25] On April 28, 2017, Rainbow Road was voted as the best course in Mario Kart 8 Deluxe! by UK players.[26]

Not all reception towards Rainbow Road has been positive. Ben Lee of Digital Spy as well as several US Gamer staff members consider Rainbow Road to be their least favorite tracks in the history of the Mario Kart franchise.[27][28]

References[]

  1. ^ a b Edge Staff (November 12, 2015). "Rainbow Road: the deadly ribbon that has entranced generations of racers". gamesradar.
  2. ^ a b Stockdale, Henry (2021-01-15). "After 13 Years, Mario Kart Wii's Rainbow Road Finally Gives Up Its "Impossible" Ultra Shortcut". Nintendo Life. Retrieved 2021-06-21.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: url-status (link)
  3. ^ Doolan, Liam (2021-03-17). "Hot Wheels Is Releasing A Mario Kart Rainbow Road Raceway Track". Nintendo Life. Retrieved 2021-06-21.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: url-status (link)
  4. ^ Gilliam, Ryan (2021-01-14). "This Mario Kart shortcut took almost 13 years to pull off". Polygon. Retrieved 2021-06-21.
  5. ^ "Minecraft players are recreating Mario Kart 64's Rainbow Road track". PCGamesN. Retrieved 2021-06-21.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: url-status (link)
  6. ^ a b "On The Level: Taking A Joyride Down Super Mario Kart's Rainbow Road". TheGamer. 2020-10-24. Retrieved 2021-06-21.
  7. ^ a b c d e f g Mario Kart Rainbow Road (1992 to 2011) Generations [12:21]. davidevgen. 2011-12-04.
  8. ^ a b Prestia, Gaetano (29 April 2017). "Mario Kart 8 Deluxe: All tracks, cup, and deluxe characters". Fenix Bazaar. Retrieved 21 December 2021.
  9. ^ "This is the complete Mario Kart 8 track list". VideoGamer.com. 30 April 2014. Retrieved 21 December 2021.
  10. ^ Gilliam, Ryan (14 January 2021). "This Mario Kart shortcut took almost 13 years to pull off". Polygon. Retrieved 26 December 2021.
  11. ^ "Every Version Of Mario Kart's Rainbow Road, Ranked". TheGamer. 29 November 2021. Retrieved 24 December 2021.
  12. ^ "Mario Kart 8 review: Hover conversion". Engadget. 2014-05-15. Retrieved 22 December 2021.
  13. ^ Groux, Christopher (May 4, 2017). "'Mario Kart 8 Deluxe' Producer Discusses Why Rainbow Road Is One Of The Best Tracks". International Business Times.
  14. ^ Taft, Liam (August 4, 2018). "A rainbow runs through it: colourful camera tricks – in pictures" – via www.theguardian.com.
  15. ^ "Nintendo Fans Will Love Tesla's Hidden Easter Egg". Time.
  16. ^ "Two Decades of Blue Shells: 15 of the Greatest "Mario Kart" Moments in GIFs". Complex.
  17. ^ "The 15 Best Mario Kart Tracks". pastemagazine.com. April 21, 2017.
  18. ^ Reynolds, Matthew (May 25, 2014). "Mario Kart: The 10 best ever tracks". Digital Spy.
  19. ^ "10 Best Mario Kart Tracks, Ranked". ScreenRant. June 26, 2019.
  20. ^ "Rainbow Road to Glory: The Top 15 Mario Kart Tracks - GameRevolution". www.gamerevolution.com.
  21. ^ "34 Video Game Levels That You Must Play Before You Die". BuzzFeed News.
  22. ^ "The original Mario Kart's Rainbow Road inspired awe despite its rough edges". The A.V. Club.
  23. ^ Elston, Brett (September 9, 2010). "Game music of the day: Super Mario Kart". gamesradar.
  24. ^ "Mario Kart saves its funkiest music for its most notorious track". The A.V. Club.
  25. ^ Webster, Andrew (May 15, 2014). "The best 'Mario Kart' ever". The Verge.
  26. ^ "UK fans declare Rainbow Road the best course in Mario Kart 8 Deluxe". Nintendo of Europe GmbH.
  27. ^ Lee, Ben (May 30, 2014). "Mario Kart: The 10 worst ever tracks". Digital Spy.
  28. ^ Mackey, Bob (May 28, 2014). "Our Favorite (and Least Favorite) Mario Kart Tracks of All Time".
Retrieved from ""