#toad harbor

Mario Kart 8 Deluxe Tracks 6/96

Media: Mario Kart 8 Deluxe (2017)

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Along with Dolphin Shoals and Moo Moo Meadows, this is one of the most common courses played online. I'm not really sure why that is, to me it's not that great a track. Is it because it was one of the first tracks to be revealed for Mario Kart 8? Maybe I'm just tired of playing it over and over again. As a side note, there is no gliding in this course, making it the only new course in Mario Kart 8 to lack such a feature.

Some say that this is the new equivalent of Toad's Turnpike. Well, it is Toad-themed, but there aren't any threatening vehicles other than the trams, and even they follow a specific path and only appear in part of the course. On the bright side, there are plenty of alternative routes to take while playing this course, so it's not necessarily going to be the same every lap. The first decision comes right after the first turn: players can either stick to the left and get a couple of trick boosts on the ramps (but with the risk of falling into water below), or stick to the right and take the safer flat road. After this short bit there is another choice: go on top of the market awnings or go underneath them, similar to Shy Guy Bazaar from Mario Kart 7. The next section once again contains two separate paths, situated around an S-bend. The path to the left goes around the full S-shape while the path to the right looks longer at first but actually ends up being shorter as it crosses over the left path and cuts out most of the next corner. When the two routes join the course's main hazards appear: the trams. Crashing into these will cause players to spin out, but perfectly manoeuvering between them and the very inside of the corner puts skilled players at a great advantage. For the less experienced, an anti-gravity wall exists at the left side of the course, but this is the slower route. Where the anti-gravity ends, a steep downhill begins. This part reminds me of Crazy Taxi for some reason, but I'm not sure why. Looking closely at the scenery, a Princess Peach version of the Statue of Liberty can be seen in the harbour. There are boost pads, Coins and Item Boxes which can all be used to gain an edge over other players. At the bottom of the hill there is yet another choice: turn left for more coins, or keep going for the quicker road overall. With a Mushroom or a Star the player can boost over a patch of grass on the right route, which is useful as a last-second shortcut, as this is the final section of the course before the finish line.

That save at the beginning!