Mario Kart Nitro Tracks that Should Be on Another Cup
If you know about Mario Kart you know that cups are often ranked in a difficulty order. However some track in those cup feels like they are in the wrong place considering its difficulty. That's pretty much what this list is about. Retro tracks will be covered on another list.
Toad's Turnpike is probably the hardest track in the series, and yet it is the first track of the Flower Cup. It's even harder on mirror mode since the cars hit you backward. Personally, I always found this didn't make sense since mirror mode is supposed to only invert left and right, not make it backward.
The remake is much easier, and its place in the Shell Cup makes much more sense, on top of being much more fun in my opinion thanks to all the things they added. But hey, maybe the developers overestimated the controls in that game, since the cars aren't as dangerous in Mario Kart games with better controls.
Eh, I have a very unpopular opinion on my favorite Mario Kart course of all time. I never had many problems with the minecart sections but thought they just added some more difficulty. As the last course on the Flower Cup, I like how it symbolizes how you will need to take it a little more seriously in upcoming cups.
The minecarts are surprisingly hard to avoid in this track, and I think the Flower Cup is a bit too easy for this track.
This should have swapped with Dry Dry Ruins.
The turns on this track are really sharp for the controls of the game, and the Thwomps are pretty hard to avoid. Seeing this track in the Star Cup is pretty weird, especially since all the Mario Kart games after that have a Bowser's Castle in the Special Cup.
I would gladly trade off this track and Toad's Turnpike with DK's Jungle Parkway and Rainbow Road. The only problem with that trade is that it would break the tradition of Rainbow Roads being the last track in the game.
Yeah, this is especially weird when all Mario Karts after this one placed Bowser's Castle in the Special Cup. But the thing is also how hard this course is. It's the hardest in the game, in my opinion, and really should not be in the Star Cup! Well, the creepy atmosphere "somewhat" makes up for it, but it should've been in the Special Cup.
The big problem with placing this in the Special Cup would be the fact that there'd be two lava stages in one cup, which would make it feel strange. Difficulty-wise, though, this is really challenging, with the ground falling apart. But I give a pass to hard difficulty on the last course of the Star Cup, more or less, considering it shows that it will only get more intense from here.
This track is really intense with its fireballs that are hard to avoid and some sharp turns that are even sharper when parts of the track fall off. This really feels like a Special Cup track. Sure, it would have been redundant to have two tracks with lava in the same cup, but still.
This is without a doubt the easiest Star Cup course of all time, alongside SNES Koopa Beach 1 and DS Mario Circuit. I mean, nothing is remotely challenging here at all. But the sunset setting sorta makes up for it, but yeah, it's not Star Cup material in difficulty.
Here is a perfect track to trade with Wario's Gold Mine. Daisy Circuit doesn't have any obstacles, and there are no turns that are really sharp. Why is it in the second hardest cup?
This stage shouldn't be in the Star Cup. It's Flower Cup at most, honestly.
Ever since Mario Kart 64, the Mario Circuits were always in the Flower Cup, and they are often like the first tracks in the game, but harder. Mario Circuit on the DS is an exception since it is the only Mario Circuit to be in the Star Cup. I mean, it's not like it's that much harder than the other Mario Circuits. I would trade this track with Waluigi Pinball.
It's really surprising how this is in the Star Cup when it's just as easy as it has always been. Although I would keep Waluigi Pinball in the Flower Cup still, I would rather replace Delfino Square, which did not fit as a second course in the Flower Cup. It fit much more as a third course in a harder cup, as it was a little too epic for its original placement.
And here is the perfect track to trade Grumble Volcano with. Dry Dry Ruins doesn't have a lot of obstacles. It does have some sharp turns, but even the turns in Koopa Cape and Maple Treeway are sharper.
Quite ironically, when I first played it, I failed so badly with DK in his Off-Roader as I somehow drove into the off-road at all times. But yeah, it's pretty easy for Special Cup material due to its easy turns and wide road.
There is nothing special about Dry Dry Ruins. I think Grumble Volcano should have been in the Special Cup.
This track has some really, really sharp turns, and honestly, this is Special Cup material. I don't know whether to trade it with DK Jungle or Rosalina's Ice World, but it's not really important. I think it would have been especially cool if it was just before Bowser's Castle since it would have been like going through Bowser's town just before going through his castle.
This is the definite course I always fail on when I play Mario Kart 7 online. I don't have the highest opinion on this course due to its "ice physics" on the rainy terrain. What is also not okay is its inclusion in the Star Cup! Replace it with DK Jungle, which was undoubtedly easier.
This track is at the bottom of my personal top 10 because it is only really hard on your first try. It's very hard to control on these mushrooms, and it takes quite some practice to handle them. When you know how to control them, it's a more tolerable track for the Mushroom Cup.
Even then, I would still trade it off with another track in the Flower Cup. Actually, you know what? Daisy Circuit is so easy that it should be in the Mushroom Cup, replacing Mushroom Gorge. Mushroom Gorge would then replace Wario's Gold Mine in the Flower Cup, and you know what happens next.
No, I'm not putting this track here because I think there should be a Bowser's Castle in the Special Cup. I'm putting this on here because the turns are really sharp, and there are even parts where there can be Thwomps that block the full road. I would trade it off with Vanilla Lake 2 because I am the first person to say that ice tracks aren't that hard.
This was a really challenging SNES track (although 2 was a little harder at times). It really should've been Special Cup material and, yes, replaced Vanilla Lake 2, but that would also cause a problem as Bowser's Castle 3 comes right before Vanilla Lake 1. Well, it's hard.
This is my least favorite Mario Kart course of all time. It's so obnoxious for a Flower Cup.
You've got conveyor belts, quick turns, machines that block boost pads occasionally, and machines that will crush you, and it's in the Mushroom Cup? This should've swapped places with DK Summit.
The turns are a little sharp, and the cars can surprise the player. Although, the last course of the Flower Cup should be a little hard in my opinion.
The track is a little slippery and long for the Flower Cup. Also, the infamous snowmen. Enough said.
This fit well in the Mushroom Cup, in my opinion, although the Flower Cup could've taken it as well.
Now it does fit very well in the Special Cup with its insane difficulty, but what's it doing right before Rainbow Road? Just swap it with Bowser's Castle, which was harder, please.
A little too easy? There are no sharp or hard turns, and the setting is chill too. Could've been swapped out with Toad Harbor, which then swapped places with Twisted Mansion.
This track can be kind of tricky. It's in the Lightning Cup, but this track is more fitting for the Star Cup. This and Ribbon Road could've swapped.
This is basically the easiest track in the game. I also get the quickest time trial for this track. I am surprised this wasn't in the Mushroom Cup.