Due to it being a racing series, and one of gaming’s most successful ones at that, one of the selling points ofMario Kartis the tracks. While rarely based on actual Mushroom Kingdom landmarks, the thematic consistency and even additional characterization given toMariocharacters with their own home tracks make the courses memorable areas to race on.Mario Karthas been responsible for the creation of several iconicMariolocations such asRainbow Roadand the immortalization of other memorable locales, such as Bowser’s Castle.
During its first decade of existence,Mario Kartdedicated itself to solely providing original courses in each game.Super Circuitwas the notable exception due to it having every singleSuper Mario Karttrack as unlockable features. Even then, unless players went out of their way to unlock them, they would not be aware of the first game’s courses’ presence. Starting withMario Kart DS, the series added fully fledged “retro cups” that remastered a selection of courses of every preceding installment. By the timeMario Kart 8came out, almost every track made before8’s release was remastered at least once. However, there are some exceptions.
All The Missing Pre-Mario Kart 8 Tracks
Missing Mario Kart 64 Track
Indeed, there is only oneMario Kart 64track that has never been remastered. Wario Stadium, infamous for its plainly brown, dirty visuals, and laps that take forever to complete, seems like an ideal track to remaster as soon as possible. However, even withCrash Team Racing’s Tiny Arena being directly inspired by it, its impact was not enough. One wonders if Nintendo finally has something planned for this track.
Missing Mario Kart: Super Circuit Tracks
Mario Kart: Super Circuitis arguably the franchise’s black sheep. Not only did it come out on a system whereMariogames were well received but surprisingly overshadowed by several other Nintendo games, but it is also the less “unique” or “innovative” entry in the series. Its most memorable contributions are being the firstMario Kartgame to be released on a handheld system and the first one to bring old courses back, butMario Kart DS, and laterMario Kart 7, perfected these concepts. As a result, the original tracks are not as well remembered as their counterparts from other games, so there are still a decent number of tracks left to remaster.
Missing Mario Kart Double Dash Tracks
In contrast toSuper Circuit,Double Dashis home to some of the series’ most memorable and beloved tracks. By the timeMario Kart 8was made, most of them were already reintroduced in some sort of modern form. However, some tracks still have yet to get a makeover, and not just the traditional variant of one concept.
Missing Mario Kart DS Tracks
Mario Kart DSis notable for being the first game in the series that allows players to race other people online and, as mentioned beforehand, perfecting the retro tracks concept. Most of its original tracks have already been remastered, with the few remaining ones belonging to general series trends except for maybe Figure-8.
Missing Mario Kart Wii Tracks
Mario Kart Wiihad an engaging online community, one of the most solid character rosters, and introduced motion controls and bikes to the series. Despite its important contributions, several tracks, including completely original ones, have not been remastered.
Missing Mario Kart 7 Tracks
Despite its recent release in comparison to most games in the series, most ofMario Kart 7’s trackswere remastered, especially thanks toMario Kart Tour. Coincidentally, the exceptions share a similar theme.
With the announcement ofnewMario Kart 8 DeluxeDLC, it is safe to say that several of the aforementioned tracks will get a new coat of paint. However, since the confirmed DLC tracks were all fromTouror were remastered in previous games, it is all up to speculation.
Mario Kart 8 Deluxeis available now on Nintendo Switch, and the Booster Course Pass launches on July 24, 2025.
