Every Mario Kart 8 Deluxe Track Ranked (with DLC)

Mario Kart 8 Deluxe just got a huge DLC expansion that added twice as many courses to the game’s already huge lineup. Now, there are a grand total of 96 tracks in the game, from new tracks to the many remakes. But which are the most fun to race on? Well, here’s my absurd ranking of all 96 tracks, from the Wii U tracks to the new DLC.

Note: This ranking will not include any battle tracks, only tracks built for races.

 

#96: GCN Baby Park

Classic Baby Park: just 5 laps of madness in a stupidly small track that’s just a circle. It’s not really a race, more of just an item mess each lap. Also, it would be nice if there were 7 laps like the original version.

#95: SNES Mario Circuit 3

There’s slim to nothing new about this basic Super Mario Kart track. Easy turns, mostly flat layout, and very few hazards. It doesn’t feel much different from the SNES track.

#94: Wii Mushroom Gorge

There’s a lot of fun in this classic Wii track. From jumping across mushrooms for shortcuts to the unique track layout, Mushroom Gorge is a fun Wii track. Everything new feels like it should be there and makes for a fun race.

#93: DS Mario Circuit

There’s not much that makes Mario Kart DS’s Mario Circuit track much different than others across the series. Short track, simple layout, and little to no obstacles. It can be fun, but its lack of shortcuts and split paths makes it unoriginal.

#92: SNES Rainbow Road

The same, awful Rainbow Road from SNES. However, the Thwomps do add a new element of creativity as they can make the track waves, allowing racers to trick off their peaks. Still a fairly lifeless Rainbow Road.

#91: 3DS Toad Circuit

While not a particularly unique or interesting track, Toad Circuit still makes for a fun track. The track feels like a Toad-themed land, and the shortcuts and layout are fun to race on. I did find the track to be very short, but it was still a fun race.

#90: SNES Donut Plains 3

While much more updated compared to the SNES track, it’s still a simple layout with very few new additions to liven up the bland course. The water features are cool, but there’s barely anything else and very few shortcuts.

#89: GBA Boo Lake

There aren’t a lot of new elements in this remake of the GBA’s Boo Lake. There are some layout changes to accommodate to Mario Kart 8’s new concepts, but overall it’s still a simple yet enjoyable track to race on.

#88: DS Shroom Ridge

There isn’t a lot of uniqueness in DS’s Shroom Ridge. It’s just a simple track with sharp turns and hazards in the form of cars. It feels like a strongly toned-down Toad’s Turnpike to me.

#87: N64 Choco Mountain

This interesting chocolate-covered mountain still makes for a fun race, though it’s not a very unique track. The layout is simple and there are very few hazards, but that classic music and design feel just like Mario Kart 64, and it’s a fun race.

#86: GBA Sunset Wilds

While this Mario Kart 8 remake doesn’t make this classic GBA track a bit more intricate, it’s still a fun track to race on. There’s very few shortcuts, but there are some hills to trick off and fun obstacles. It’s a fun course, but still simple.

#85: N64 Toad’s Turnpike

The trucks and cars are slower than the N64 version, but this is still an annoying, simple track. Racing around the trucks on the turnpike can be fun, but the layout is simple and the only ‘shortcuts’ are over some of the cars.

#84: Wii Moonview Highway

While it is another Toad’s Turnpike clone, at least Moonview Highway looks neat. The beautiful city background is a pretty neat sight. However, this track is no different from other highway tracks like Toad’s Turnpike otherwise.

#83: 3DS Rock Rock Mountain

There’s a lot of neat things going on here, from pipes to trick off of, to boulders rolling down a giant hill, and lots of boost panels and gliding. It’s a perfect track for Mario Kart 7 to introduce the glider, but in Mario Kart 8 it’s a bit bland.

#82: DS Peach Gardens

While not entirely interesting, this classic DS track is still charming to race on. There’s large open areas where players can race across, and the obstacles feel like they fit with the theme. It’s a fun track, just not super interesting.

#81: N64 Sherbet Land

While there aren’t too many points of interest, N64 Sherbet Land is still fun with its branching paths and creative shortcuts. You can race underwater or on the snow and ice above, and it makes for a fun race.

#80: GBA Riverside Park

Riverside Park was so well-updated and designed that it doesn’t even feel like it was originally a Super Curcuit track. You’ll race across bridges, through caves, and even through a waterfall. The updates to this GBA track make it so much more unique than it was originally.

#79: GBA Mario Circuit

It is cool that part of the track is now lifted into the air for an anti-gravity segment, but otherwise it’s a very simple track with very few shortcuts and points of interest. Not much to see or find while racing.

#78: GBA Snow Land

This is a prime example of how to make an old track feel modern. Great new additions were added to this classic GBA track, and there are some unique shortcuts and turns. It’s a fun track, though still a bit simple.

#77: Shy Guy Falls

Seeing the Shy Guys mining through the falls is a fun sight to see as you zip around several turns and interesting sets. There isn’t a lot to avoid on the track, but the track is fun to race on.

#76: N64 Kalimari Desert

The annoying train is back from the Nintendo 64. Kalimari Desert doesn’t have a lot to it, with a mostly simple layout with few hazards. However, it still makes for a memorable race that’s even better in Mario Kart 8 Deluxe.

#75: Tour Athens Dash

The detail in this Greece-themed track is very well done and blends perfectly into the track layout. Athens Dash is unique, as it contains very odd but neat laps where you’ll race in a coliseum, across large staircases, and more. It’s pretty neat.

#74: Merry Mountain

While it is a very uniquely-themed track with its Christmas theme, Merry Mountain is one of the more bland new tracks in the Booster Course Pass. However, some of the shortcuts are very creative and well-implemented.

#73: Big Blue

While tons of fun racing through F-Zero, I personally wasn’t a fan of the strange track layout and lack of shortcuts. There also wasn’t too much to see outside the track, though still a fun F-Zero race.

#72: Dolphin Shoals

Lots of things to trick on and boost past as you zip underwater and on the seaside of Dolphin Shoals. There’s lots of life here, but the track layout itself is fairly simple.

#71: N64 Royal Raceway

Even though you can’t visit Peach’s Castle like you could on N64 anymore, the revamped Royal Raceway is still a fun track to race on, filled with royal sights and sounds that add to the charm.

#70: Mario Circuit

This is a perfect Mario Circuit, but far from a perfect track. It’s very short and the layout is simple, but it works perfectly as a beginner track. The simple layout and anti-gravity are implemented well to make this a great starting track, but otherwise it’s pretty forgettable.

#69: GCN Dry Dry Desert

While not updated much from the original track, it’s still a fun track with neat new features. Cleverly implemented objects used for tricks makes the track enjoyable, but overall the track is as dry as the desert.

#68: Ninja Hideaway

Ninja Hideaway quite possibly has the most elements to trick off of in Mario Kart history. There are so many different things you can trick off, so many hidden shortcuts and secret paths, and exhilarating music to finish the job. It’s a really fun track.

#67: Cloudtop Cruise

There a lot of neat details in the track design here, from neat set pieces to unique shortcuts that are cleverly designed and blend into the track. A really fun course with lots of neat points of interest along the way.

#66: Wii Daisy Circuit

There isn’t much that makes Daisy Circuit different from other tracks with similar settings. Daisy Circuit has a simple layout and generic design, though it still has interesting elements to make it a fun track to race on.

#65: Ice Ice Outpost

Some neat set pieces and a neat layout make Ice Ice Outpost a fun race. However, almost every shortcut is difficult to perform and there aren’t lots of hazards on the road. Otherwise, a solid track.

#64: Twisted Mansion

While not exactly Luigi’s Mansion, Twisted Mansion is a neat track to utilize the new gravity gimmick. The halls turn upside down and hidden shortcuts to exit the mansion are plentiful. A fun track, but pretty short and simple.

#63: Thwomp Ruins

Really neat set pieces and points of interest make Thwomp Ruins enjoyable to venture through. There’s lots of interesting shortcuts and separate paths, along with lots of Thwomps to avoid as well.

#62: Tour Madrid Drive

This wonderfully-designed village is full of little details and quirks that make it stand out from the other Tour tracks. There’s lots of unique shortcuts and sections you’ll race through that make Madrid a great place to race through.

#61: Tour Rome Avanti

This race through Rome is really neat. There’s lots of cool sights and the track layout is superb. There’s plenty of shortcuts and things to trick off of. It’s a neat track filled with lots of creative and unique stuff.

#60: Wii Maple Treeway

Mario Kart 8 Deluxe did a lot to keep this track as great as it was back on the Wii, even including half-pipes. Maple Treeway is a neat track to race on with tight turns that will put your skills to the test.

#59: N64 Rainbow Road

N64 Rainbow Road was never a great track, as it was too long and there was nothing on the track except for predictable Chain Chomps. The new version has neat new additions that make it a much more fun track than the original.

#58: Wii Moo Moo Meadows

Classic Moo Moo Meadows from the Wii. The remake doesn’t add a lot of new features, so this is still a fairly bland track, but it is still fun to race on. It’s always fun drifting past cows and moles, along with large Moo Moo Meadows Milk trucks.

#57: GCN Yoshi Circuit

To get the track layout shaped like the green dino himself, Yoshi Circuit has some rough turns at some points. But it’s still a fun tracks with lots of neat points of interest and creative details.

#56: Bone Dry Dunes

Dry bones, and other classic enemies made of bones reside in this desert-mountain region filled with a neat track layout, tunnels, and fun shortcuts. There’s lots to see here, even if it may seem dry at first.

#55: N64 Yoshi Valley

Wild Yoshis roam this land as Mario and friends race through a strange course with an odd layout. It’s still a fun track, however, with lots of neat shortcuts and hazards.

#54: Tour Singapore Speedway

What makes Singapore’s Mario Kart Tour track unique is that racers won’t just drive on the streets around the city. Singapore Speedway takes you across buildings, in pools, through stadiums, and even more. It’s a neat track.

#53: Tour Amsterdam Drift

While not quite as detailed as the other Tour track, the Amsterdam track is still a fun race. Each lap is unique, though each one is very short. There aren’t a lot of shortcuts either, making this a more linear track. It’s still fun, just not super unique.

#52: 3DS Piranha Plant Slide

Racing through underground warp pipes flooded with water and piranha plants makes for a surprisingly intricate track with lots of set pieces, things to trick off of, and more. While not branching paths and few shortcuts, it’s still a fun track to race on.

#51: Water Park

A giant waterpark and amusement park filled with neat sights and sounds as players race above and underwater around neat sets. These sets make for some creatively added shortcuts and each lap feels different.

#50: Sweet Sweet Canyon

Filled with sweet shortcuts, sour turns, and mouthwatering sets pieces, Sweet Sweet Canyon makes for a fun course with lots of fun elements sprinkled throughout. While there aren’t a lot of obstacles on the road, the track is still a fun one.

#49: Tour London Loop

There’s a lot uniqueness when racing across London in this track. Chain Chomps chase you across the course, bridges open up so racers can trick off them, and the overall feel of the track is just amazing. A really great London track.

#48: Piranha Plant Cove

This mostly-underwater track allows racers to explore where the piranha plants reside under the sea. The track is uniquely designed, with several different locations filled with things to trick off of and shortcuts. It’s a fun track.

#47: Tour Bangkok Rush

This Bangkok-themed track is a unique one with its interesting track layout that takes racers across many different areas of the city. The shortcuts are brilliant, the enemies are diverse, and it’s just overall a neat track to race on.

#46: Dragon Driftway

The Chinese celebration setting of Dragon Driftway is a sight to behold. The track layout is filled with lots of rough turns and clever shortcuts, making for a fun race.

#45: Excitebike Arena

What’s cool about this track is that the track changes every lap. The track is just a large oval, but the location of hazards and boosts change per lap. The dash panels and large hills lead to massive jumps with crazy air time. The track feels very reminiscent of Excitebike on the NES.

#44: Wii DK Summit

DK Summit is filled to the brim with half-pipes, making it feel just like a ski slope as you can trick off the hills along the racetrack. It’s a really fun track, though there aren’t a lot of unique shortcuts, making it a more linear track.

#43: Toad Harbor

Toad’s small, oceanside town is a cozy and fun track for players to race through. There are lots of shortcuts, separate paths, and boosts, and of course the beautiful design of the town. There just aren’t any hazards to make the track difficult.

#42: DS Cheep Cheep Beach

The beautiful tropical and seaside setting from this classic DS track is even more beautiful in Mario Kart 8. The track is very well made, with lots of different sights, obstacles, and shortcuts throughout the race.

#41: 3DS DK Jungle

The uniquely-designed setting of DK Jungle pulls you into the Donkey Kong world like no other, with perfect track layout and shortcuts to make for a really great Kong track.

#40: GBA Cheese Land

A really great evolution of the GBA track, Cheese Land is turned into a huge cheese-covered desert with tons of shortcuts and a track layout that feels like you’re racing on cheese. It’s really interesting.

#39: Tour Sydney Sprint

This track takes you racers through Sydney, Australia, and it’s a neat track. It reminds me of Toad Harbor, with its seaside town design, and it’s really fun. Neat shortcuts, a fun layout, and creative details.

#38: GBA Sky Garden

While still not a particularly interesting track with its more standard layout, Sky Garden does manage to add lots of neat, new features to spruce up the experience. There’s lots of things to trick off of, and a lot of creative shortcuts. Though this is still a fairly simple track.

#37: GCN Daisy Cruiser

This new version of Daisy Cruiser cleverly implements the new features of Mario Kart since Double Dash, with players gliding across the ship, driving in a flooded bottom level, and more. The track is fun one, with lots of charm and a neat layout.

#36: Wild Woods

This cute Shy Guy village in the middle of the woods makes for a perfect Mario Kart track as you race across trees, suspended bridges, and babbling brooks. It’s a really unique track.

#35: Electrodome

The Disco sounds and music all make for a very exciting race in the Electrodome. Lots of electric devices and sounds make the setting and road very exhilarating to race on.

#34: Squeaky Clean Sprint

Who wouldn’t want to bounce across bath toys in Mario Kart? Well, this track lets you. There’s tons of unique areas, as well as very well-detailed sections. This track has so many creative shortcuts, adding to this track’s odd charm.

#33: Tour Berlin Byways

While there are a lot of neat shortcuts and obstacles here, I didn’t find the Berlin-themed track to have a super engaging layout. However, it’s neat racing through secret tunnels or trains as a shortcut. It’s a pretty fun track.

#32: Mount Wario

Mount Wario is a track where each lap takes racers into different places. Mount Wario is an epic course, taking racers on ski slopes, snowy forests, and even the Wario Dam. It’s all very neat and it makes for a fun race.

#31: Mario Kart Stadium

This is a very great example of a starter course, especially for Mario Kart 8 with its new anti-gravity controls. The track implements anti-gravity perfectly, and the setting makes it a memorable race.

#30: Tour Tokyo Blur

This track perfectly captures the sights and sounds of Tokyo, but the track itself doesn’t have too much to offer. Each lap is a unique layout, but the overall track feels very short and doesn’t show a lot of new elements each time you race.

#29: Tour Paris Promenade

This Tour track has that beautiful and elegant essence of Paris in every lap. While there are only few shortcuts and inclines, it’s a fun and unique track. In the third lap, you’ll go through the race backwards, which is a neat change.

#28: GCN Waluigi Stadium

There’s a lot of fun to be found in Waluigi Stadium. Tons of half-pipes, unique obstacles, a neat track layout, and lots of things to trick off of. While there aren’t really any shortcuts, this track is still a fun one to race on.

#27: Rainbow Road

Mario Kart 8’s new Rainbow Road has lots of cool new features that make the original experience grander and more exciting. You’ll race through a giant space station, glide through large sun-shaped rings, and of course across flashy, rainbow-tiled roads through space.

#26: Bowser’s Castle

This is the perfect example of a Bowser’s Castle course in Mario Kart. There’s tons of obstacles, harsh turns, and of course, Bowser himself, though now in rock form where he smashes the track, making it very wavy. It’s a really unique but difficult track.

#25: DS Waluigi Pinball

There isn’t much new stuff in Waluigi Pinball, but the track doesn’t need it. The track is expertly crafted with a great layout, fun pinball-themed obstacles, and lots of fun. It doesn’t need much change.

#24: SNES Bowser Castle 3

Mario Kart 8’s remake of Bowser’s Castle 3 feels completely different from the SNES track, however there are similarities. The track is still very short, and there aren’t a lot of shortcuts. However, it’s a really fun track to race across.

#23: 3DS Neo Bowser City

The classic futuristic Bowser city track from Mario Kart 7 is back, and it’s pretty much the same. The track is fantastic, though there aren’t a lot of shortcuts. Otherwise, a really fun track.

#22: GCN DK Mountain

There’s nothing like shooting out of a barrel and around that grumpy-looking volcano. It’s a class track with unique shortcuts, a great track layout, and neat obstacles that blend with the theme perfectly. Like I said, it’s a classic.

#21: Wii Grumble Volcano

Here’s a really unique Wii track where the track starts to break apart as the race goes on. By lap 2, there are cracks on the side of the road, and by lap 3 the road is half the size it was in lap 1. The track is neat with lots of neat turns and obstacles along the way.

#20: Tour Vancouver Velocity

This Tour track in Vancouver has some of the prettiest sections of the Tour tracks. You’ll race across snowy landscapes, an arena, suspension bridges, and small, colorful towns. It’s a neat track, though there were a lack of shortcuts. Otherwise, pretty fun.

#19: 3DS Rosalina’s Ice World

Rosalina’s Ice World is beautiful ice-themed track where racers will race across frozen lakes, icy caves, and so much more. While there isn’t much Rosalina, this is still a really creative and fun track.

#18: DS Tick-Tock Clock

This classic DS track has been improved from its original glory into an even better track. Tick-Tock Clock is really fun to race on since you race across giant clocks and gears in what seems like the inside of a clock tower. It’s a great race.

#17: 3DS Music Park

Music Park is just as amazing as on the 3DS, with super cool effects and obstacles themed to musical instruments. It makes this a really unique and memorable course.

#16: DS Wario Stadium

There are some tough turns in the track layout, but the setting and unique shortcuts make up for that making for a very unique racing experience.

#15: Wii Koopa Cave

Koopa Cave is a very neat track, taking you across and inside of a mountain and even underwater through a large, transparent tunnel. The track layout is really creative and fun, and shortcuts are well-implemented. It’s a fun track.

#14: Tour Los Angeles Laps

There’s some neat places you’ll race on across LA in this Tour track. From beaches to baseball, city streets and seaside theme parks, there’s a lot of neat sections of this track, allowing for lots of neat shortcuts, obstacles, and more.

#13: Wii Wario’s Gold Mine

Another great Wii track, Wario’s Gold Mine has been made even better in Mario Kart 8. The track is really fun to race on, with tons of unique obstacles themed to a gold mine.

#12: 3DS Rainbow Road

It’s the classic and amazing Rainbow Road from Mario Kart 7. There aren’t a lot of changes, but it’s still as fun as ever with its unique settings and track layout. It’s a really great Rainbow Road track that I’m glad was added in the DLC.

#11: Super Bell Subway

This track is very creative, as players will race through a subway station and even across the train tracks. It’s really neat, with the unique layout and shortcuts. It makes for a very fun race.

#10: GBA Ribbon Road

This is almost a completely different track from the GBA original. Now, players race through a bedroom across toys and ribbons and more. The setting is super neat and well-detailed, the shortcuts are cleverly implemented, and the decorations make this track feel fresh to play each lap.

#9: Mute City

The perfect F-Zero track. Super fast-paced, lots of huge turns and large shortcuts, and tons more. It’s a really fun track that feels just like an F-Zero game, making for a great race.

#8: Hyrule Circuit

It’s super cool racing through the sights and sounds of Hyrule in Mario Kart. You’ll race through Hyrule Castle Town, Hyrule Castle past the Master Sword, in the back forest, and even more. It’s a super cool Zelda track embodying everything great about the series.

#7: Yoshi’s Island

This track completely captures the silliness and creativity of Yoshi’s Island. This track is filled with so many unique elements that make it feel just like the original SNES game. There are tons of unique obstacles, shortcuts, and sections that make this track a gem.

#6: Sky-High Sundae

There’s a lot to love about this sweet track. There’s a lot of different sights, shortcuts, and trick jumps. However, even though the track is on an incline, it’s just a standard oval. Otherwise, it’s a really great track to race on.

#5: Animal Crossing

Not only do you get to race through a classic Animal Crossing village with animal residents cheering you on, but the season even changes as you play, making for a very unique and different experience while racing.

#4: Wii Coconut Mall

It’s the same classic Wii track we all know and love. This tropical shopping mall is filled with unique elements, split paths, and lots of neat shortcuts. All of the hazards are cleverly implemented and everything goes perfectly with the theme.

#3: Sunshine Airport

Something about the tropical feeling, the unique airport setting, and the fun track layout make this a standout track. You’ll race through the airport, inside planes, and even glide next to planes taking off. There are a lot of clever secret details and shortcuts here, making this a fun track to race on.

#2: Tour New York Minute

This track from Mario Kart Tour is a near-perfect New York City, with bright lights, tunnels, a parking garage, and even Central Park. New York Minute is really fun to race through, and all of its shortcuts and sights are ingeniously implemented.

#1: Wii Rainbow Road

This is the apex of Rainbow Road tracks, with the Wii version filled with unique set pieces, sections, and more. There are so many unique elements part of Mario Kart Wii’s Rainbow Road, making it one of, if not the best Rainbow Road track ever.

What’s your favorite Mario Kart 8 Deluxe track? Let me know in the comments.

Ryan’s Fortress Twitter: @RyansFortress