Top 10 Worst Mario Kart Cups

There's an under-abundance of lists all over the internet comparing cups in Mario Kart, unfortunately for some reason. The only YouTubers who have done this are Waluigi the Master, who ranked the cups in MKDS through 8, being the first YouTuber to do so, and jamiethepayne, who did it as recently as March 2020.

So, I'm just going to publish a lot of lists about Mario Kart cups, this time focusing on the worst ones of all time. I don't really hate that many of them. Really, only four or so are legitimately bad. With that being said, here is the list.

1. SNES Flower Cup

   

   It was inevitable for a Super Mario Kart cup to rank high on this list. Outside of the Special Cup, none of the cups were good - just terribly mediocre or really bad. The worst Mario Kart cup, in my opinion, is the Flower Cup from Super Mario Kart. Every single track in this cup was bad, except for Donut Plains 2, which was alright. However, when four other tracks are horrific, you don't typically get a good response.

   Choco Island 1 is part of the Choco Island theme, my least favorite in the game. Ghost Valley 2 is irritating at best. Bowser Castle 2 might be the worst Mario Kart track of all time, and Mario Circuit 3 is just irritating as well. Of course, this was first on the list.

2. DS Shell Cup

   

   Everyone calls this the Circuit Cup for good reason. Three of the four tracks here are circuits, and the other one is just a bland loop (N64 Moo Moo Farm). GBA Peach Circuit and SNES Mario Circuit are some of the most basic tracks of all time. GCN Luigi Circuit is my favorite opening track, though, and it puts this cup below the two above. However, it was still butchered in atmosphere, so yeah.

   This one was just really bland. Mario Circuit 1 and Peach Circuit are my least favorites from their cups in their original games. Luigi Circuit is really bland and also my least favorite in GCN Mushroom Cup, but it's not as bad as the other two circuits. And Moo Moo Farm is just okay. Nothing special, but it's better than the three circuits.

3. GBA Mushroom Cup

   

   Mushroom Cups usually contain the more boring and basic tracks, and that's the case for the GBA one. While not irritating like SNES Flower Cup, here every track is boring. Peach Circuit and Shy Guy Beach are just snorefests. Riverside Park is a little chill, but Bowser Castle 1 is yet again a snorefest. I don't "hate" it like SNES Flower Cup, but I don't like it.

   This one was bad, but it has some perks. Again, Peach Circuit is the worst in the game. Shy Guy Beach and Riverside Park are actually pretty decent, in my opinion, but I do think Shy Guy Beach is one of the weaker water courses and is only better than both SNES Koopa Beach 1 and 2. However, Bowser Castle 1 is really bland and the worst Bowser Castle in the game.

4. SNES Star Cup

   

   The Star Cups typically contain the more challenging tracks but also more original and interesting tracks. That wasn't the case from the start, though.

   It's got the same feeling as SNES Flower Cup - irritation. At least two tracks are a little fun (Bowser Castle 3 and Mario Circuit 4), and one track is tolerable (Koopa Beach 1) but boring. Choco Island 2 and Vanilla Lake 1 can go screw themselves though.

5. DS Banana Cup

   

   This cup was another really bland one, and one of the courses had what made it fun taken out. Donut Plains 1 is bland, Frappe Snowland is good enough, and Bowser's Castle 2 has some ramps to get some speed and height off of. But Baby Park was completely ruined.

   What made this track fun in Double Dash was the item chaos it had. That was taken away, and it's now five laps. So, while you're riding on the same track as the one in Double Dash, it doesn't feel like it, and the colors seem way more vibrant and lively in the Double Dash version.

   Our second retro cup on the list is also from Mario Kart DS. This time, the good retro remake (N64 Frappe Snowland) was really fun to play, which puts this spot lower.

   But the other three tracks are boring. SNES Donut Plains 1 is lifeless, GBA Bowser Castle 2 is just bad, and GCN Baby Park is so boring. A little better than some cups but still not amazing.

6. N64 Mushroom Cup

   

   I only remotely dislike one track here, but two are just bland. Luigi Raceway is better than the SNES and GBA circuits but still really bland, and Moo Moo Farm is again nothing special. Koopa Troopa Beach is pretty good in my opinion, but the 3DS remake is better.

   Kalimari Desert is just awful. I've never been fond of desert stages in both Mario and Mario Kart games, and this is no exception. Every time you play this track, there will be at least one time you have to wait five to ten seconds for the train to get out of the way, and it gets tedious really quickly.

   This is a little more fun than the cups we just discussed. While Luigi Raceway and Moo Moo Farm are snorefests, Koopa Troopa Beach is a really fun track. The beach atmosphere feels real and the shortcuts are awesome.

   But then comes Kalimari Desert, which does have a train, but the atmosphere is bland and the design is just an 8. So yeah...

7. GBA Flower Cup

   

   This is another case of bland tracks. Mario Circuit is only slightly better than Peach Circuit because it is slightly longer. Boo Lake is the one where I can't help but fall off at least once or twice. Cheese Land was really boring before its remake, in my opinion, and Bowser Castle 2 feels just like the last one but longer with more jump boosts.

   This is what N64 Star Cup is to Mario Kart: Super Circuit, in that one of the tracks is among the best in the game, while the rest are just meh. Although the "meh" tracks here are a little better. Boo Lake is kinda cool, but Mario Circuit and Bowser Castle 2 are not interesting at all, sadly.

8. Wii U Banana Cup

9. 3DS Special Cup

   

   Aside from the legendary Rainbow Road and fairly great Bowser Castle, the first two tracks of this game really aren't particularly memorable. I mean, DK Jungle is cool with the music and the temple, but Rosalina's Ice World has depressing music, and ice physics are the worst combination in Mario Kart, so yeah.

10. SNES Mushroom Cup

    

    The first cup ever in Mario Kart. It's not frustratingly difficult like Flower or Star Cup, but it isn't interesting enough to stay out of the list like the Special Cup.

    Mario Circuit 1 is just a basic loop, and Bowser Castle 1 is uninteresting at best. Donut Plains 1 and Ghost Valley 1 are fun, but yet again, they aren't super interesting. At least Mario Circuit 2 is one of the best Mario Circuits ever.

    It's pretty easy, but it's kinda boring sometimes. It's not bad, though.

The Newcomers
11. ?

    GBA Special Cup

    
12. ?

    3DS Mushroom Cup

    

    Shy Guy Bazaar is just too annoying because of those creatures in a jar. But at least you can get a mushroom or a superstar when hit. Toad Circuit is too plain, Daisy Hills is bland, but Cheep Cheep Lagoon is actually a good course.

The Contenders

13. Wii U Egg Cup

    

    Definitely the worst of the DLC cups in Mario Kart 8. From now on, I don't really dislike any of the cups, but one thing I must say about the Egg Cup is that it's uncolorful. All of the tracks seem to contain the same grayish-green aesthetic or an uncolorful pink merged with black/gray.

    Although the tracks themselves aren't bad. GCN Yoshi Circuit is a good remake, Mute City is alright, and Dragon Driftway is one of the best tracks among DLC. But Excitebike Arena is just an adult Baby Park - boring.

    So, I like it, but at the same time, it gives off a bad vibe.

    I like this cup, but it's pretty dull compared to the rest of the DLC cups.

14. SNES Special Cup

    

    This cup was pretty good in my opinion. The tracks aren't frustratingly difficult nor so easy that they're boring - they're in the middle. Donut Plains 3, Koopa Beach 2, Ghost Valley 3, and Rainbow Road all fall under this category. But the best track is, without a doubt, Vanilla Lake 2, my favorite track in the game, where you choose between two routes and can test your own challenges. So I like this cup.

    In my opinion, the worst cup of all time. Donut Plains 3, Ghost Valley 3, and Rainbow Road piss me off to no end. Vanilla Lake 2 sucks almost as much as the first one. At least Koopa Beach is kind of a break from the terrible other four.

15. 3DS Leaf Cup

    

    In my opinion, this was the weakest overall from Mario Kart 7. None of the tracks are that great in my opinion. N64 Kalimari Desert and DS DK Pass are both tracks I was originally not a fan of at all, and they don't change particularly much in the remakes.

    Wii Maple Treeway was one of the most butchered retro Wii tracks, as they removed the jack-off bridge and the track overall feels less interesting. GCN Daisy Cruiser does make this cup at least a little fun though.

16. DS Lightning Cup

    

    In my opinion, this was way too underwhelming! It defies what a Lightning Cup should be - an epic finale. Instead, we're greeted with SNES Choco Island 2, one of the worst Mario Kart tracks of all time, and the butchered remake of GCN Yoshi Circuit, which for some reason is the last track in the game.

    At least N64 Banshee Boardwalk and GBA Sky Garden are some of the best retro tracks in the game, so I guess it's a 50/50 cup in my opinion.

17. Wii Flower Cup

    

    This is one of my favorite cups in Mario Kart. Mario Circuit is a little basic, but even then, it's not that bad (I like the forest setting). DK's Snowboard Cross is a really great course, in my opinion. But Coconut Mall and Wario's Gold Mine really define my love for the cup. They are two of my favorite Mario Kart tracks of all time. In fact, Wario's Gold Mine is my favorite Mario Kart track ever. So, yeah!

18. 3DS Shell Cup

    

    This one was a tough call for me because I like two of the tracks here, but I decided it's worse than other cups. Luigi Raceway is the same track, just with better graphics. Bowser Castle 1 was given a glider ramp and better graphics, but that's it.

    I have no problem with Mushroom Gorge or Luigi's Mansion, so that helps. All in all, not really bad, but the first two tracks just feel really bland compared to others.

    When it comes to retro tracks, this contains both the worst and some of the best retro tracks from its game. N64 Luigi Raceway and GBA Bowser Castle 1 are both too simple and bland, but Wii Mushroom Gorge is one heck of a good ride, and DS Luigi's Mansion is one of the best tracks of all time.

19. Wii Shell Cup

    

    Although none of the tracks stand out to me, they're all pretty fun. Peach Beach is a little annoying with the Cataquacks, but otherwise it is a fun track. Yoshi Falls is simply stunning with the setting, even if the track design is a little short.

    SNES Ghost Valley 2 is an old enemy of mine when trying to beat the ghost data, but otherwise, it is a little nostalgic, albeit bad objectively. And N64 Mario Raceway is one of the best Mario Circuits, although it's still just "fun."

    Overall, it's the weakest of the MKWii cups, but it's still not even that bad.

    This cup was pretty boring. It's definitely worse than the Banana Cup. The Banana Cup had Waluigi Stadium and Delfino Square, and the Shell Cup's tracks were all pretty plain. The gameplay was also pretty unfun.

20. N64 Star Cup

    

    And another Star Cup. Aside from containing the best track in the game and the best Bowser Castle, the other three tracks are all some of the worst in the game. Wario Stadium is cool but way too long and has too little. Sherbet Land is just a monstrosity, and Royal Raceway is just another circuit (the Easter egg doesn't affect Grand Prix races).

    Wario Stadium is a good track. Sherbet Land is complete trash, and the only reason why people even care about Royal Raceway is because you can visit Peach's Castle. Bowser's Castle is the best track in the game (and the best Bowser's Castle).

21. Wii U Special Cup

    

    The Special Cup is the epic finale to the games, containing the hardest tracks in each game. How ironic that the most recent Special Cup is the worst one, when it should've been the most polished as it's the newest one.

    It does have two good tracks, Cloudtop Cruise and Bowser's Castle, but they aren't quite amazing though. Bone-Dry Dunes is just terrible, and Rainbow Road is one of the worst ones of all time.

    I like all the special cups, especially the MK8 one, even though it is the weakest one out of the entire series. I really like Cloudtop Cruise, and Bowser's Castle was amazing. Rainbow Road was okay, and I'm personally not a fan of Bone-Dry Dunes, which isn't terrible but is definitely one of the worst tracks in the game.

22. Wii Banana Cup

    

    This was also a good cup. People hate it for N64 Sherbet Land and GBA Shy Guy Beach, and while yes, the latter isn't fun at all, Sherbet Land was heavily improved, and it gives me nostalgia. DS Delfino Square and GCN Waluigi Stadium are both amazing tracks. Shell Cup was definitely worse.

    This cup was not that bad, honestly. I'd pick it over Shell Cup as it had good tracks like Waluigi Stadium and Delfino Square. While I detest Sherbet Land, I personally think it had a couple of improvements from the N64 version.

23. DS Leaf Cup

    

    Another tough call for me. Koopa Beach 2 is nothing special, but Choco Mountain and even GBA Luigi Circuit are good enough. I really like the rainy feel of this one and don't recall any other tracks that do this. However, Mushroom Bridge got the Baby Park "treatment." I will say Baby Park got hit worse, but I really dislike that they took away the speed boosts on the railings of the bridge. Now you can't even access the railing.

    I prefer the original tracks over the remakes for every GameCube track featured in DS. Yoshi Circuit took away the tunnel shortcut, and while 8/Deluxe's remake didn't bring it back, 8/Deluxe's remake looks way more lively than the DS remake.

24. Wii U Triforce Cup

    

    This is my least favorite cup in 8/8 Deluxe for a few reasons:

    1. Wario's Gold Mine was my least favorite Nitro track in Mario Kart Wii, so I was not happy to see this one return. But I guess that's what happens when Nintendo uses the four best Wii tracks in Mario Kart 7.

    2. SNES Rainbow Road would be the worst Rainbow Road if it weren't for GBA's, and this is its fourth time appearing. At this rate, I would have taken GBA's, seeing what they did with GBA Mario Circuit, Ribbon Road, and Cheese Land.

    3. Ice Ice Outpost is not fun, especially not on 200cc. Hyrule Circuit is the only redeeming factor for this cup in my opinion.

    I'm torn whether this or the Egg Cup is worse. On one hand, the Egg Cup has all of the tracks being relatively decent but no standouts. On the other hand, the Triforce Cup has some really bland tracks, but also one excellent one.

    Wii Wario's Gold Mine had the difficulty cranked way too low from the original, and SNES Rainbow Road is becoming an annoying trend. Ice Ice Outpost is alright but one of the blandest tracks ever. However, at least it ends with Hyrule Circuit, one of the best tracks in all of Mario Kart 8.

25. Wii U Shell Cup

    

    It's a pretty average Shell Cup, and by that I mean it's fun but basic. Wii Moo Moo Meadows and GBA Mario Circuit are good remakes, but they're also not particularly interesting. DS Cheep Cheep Beach is a very good remaster, but yet again, it's not anything more. While I adore the atmosphere and improved graphics of N64 Toad's Turnpike, it can get a little boring at times.