Worst Mario Kart Wii Cups

We're starting this list off with the Shell Cup. Out of all cups in Mario Kart Wii, this one easily is the weakest. The Shell Cup tends to contain some of the more simple and forgettable retro tracks, as opposed to the more difficult Leaf and Lightning Cups. I don't actually hate any of the tracks in this Shell Cup, but at the same time, I don't particularly like any of them either, as all of them are pretty safe. GCN Peach Beach, the opening track is probably the best one of the bunch. The beach setting is pretty nice as it's inspired by Isle Delfino from Super Mario Sunshine, and the obstacles are fun enough to avoid. Nothing to complain about. DS Yoshi Falls in my opinion, is an underrated track because even though it's just a loop, it's still got a really cozy tropical setting. But while that made it stand out in Mario Kart DS, Mario Kart Wii has a bit of a higher bar when it comes to the track selection. SNES Ghost Valley 2 is..., probably one of the most basic retro tracks of ...more

And in 2nd place we have the Banana Cup. This is a steady improvement over the Shell Cup, but with that said, when I was younger this used to be my least favourite because of two reasons: N64 Sherbet Land and GBA Shy Guy Beach. However, not only have I grown up, but so has my perspective on this cup. GBA Shy Guy Beach is definitely the weak spot of this selection. It's a really bland and basic Beach level, with the only point of interest being an irritating Pirate Ship that will constantly shoot exploding cannonballs at you. Not to mention, it's probably the ugliest track in the game visually. Like what it is? I used to hate Sherbet Land as well, but I've grown to enjoy it overtime, as the ice physics are pretty mild, and the music is one of my favourites in Mario Kart. That said, if these two were replaced with better tracks, the Banana Cup might've been much higher, as the last two courses in it, are actually some of the best ones from the game. Delfino Square with the town setting, ...more

The Mushroom Cup takes 3rd place. Now even though this may seem kind of low to some of you people, in my opinion, Mario Kart Wii probably has one of the best course selections in the series. So even though the Mushroom Cup may seem weak from this placement, it's really not. In fact it's probably the best Mushroom Cup from any Mario Kart game, even better than 8 Deluxe's. Now yes, it does admittedly start off poorly, with Luigi Circuit. Only the most generic circuit of all time. But I digress, it's short enough it doesn't ruin the entire experience. But it already gets better from there on, as while Moo Moo Meadows isn't extra-ordinary, it's a harmless trek through the farrmlands and open plains. Just like I said about the Banana Cup, the real stars of the show are in the second half of the cup. Mushroom Gorge is amazing. The bouncing mushroom gimmick add much needed variety to the gameplay, as you no longer have to think just about driving in the correct direction, but now also make ...more

The Leaf Cup is next up. For me, the Leaf Cups are probably the most consistent cups throughout all games in terms of quality. They've never been like amazing, but they've never been bad, even in their weakest incarnation. Apparently, this one doesn't sit too well with people, due to the fact that the opening course is DS Desert Hills, which is pretty universally hated. But I actually kind of enjoy this track. It's a bit empty sure, but I personally think it has enough going on. And just like I said in my Mario Kart DS cup ranking video, it has potential for some of the craziest shortcuts in the series, like that ending section where you can just breeze through the big hills. GBA Bowser Castle 3 was in my opinion, the best Bowser Castle in Super Circuit tied with 4, partly because of the difficulty, but mostly because of the soothing blue/purple colour scheme. And it's pretty beautiful in this game too, in addition to having some really fun twists to drift around. N64 DK's Jungle ...more

Starting off the top half, we have the Lightning Cup. Obviously, this would be the best retro cup, no questions asked. More often than not, it ends up being the reason to be excited for retro tracks, since they tend to contain the more ambitious and unique remakes in the series, and that's mostly the case with this Lightning Cup as well. The only thing that really holds it back, is SNES Mario Circuit 3. Why, is this track in the Lightning Cup? It's way too basic, not just as a Circuit track, but especially as Lightning Cup course. That 180 degree turn doesn't warrant a place in the difficult cup when the entirity of Toad's Factory, a Mushroom Cup track is easier. With that said, it's not terrible at least, and the other three courses are all really great. DS Peach Gardens is a criminally underrated track and I don't know why. Sure, maybe the atmosphere isn't what you'd expect from the last cup, but it fits very well nevertheless with the chaotic map layout and all chain chomps hopping ...more

If I were to show someone who'd never played Mario Kart in his life what this game is all about, I'd show them Mario Kart Wii's Flower Cup. It's probably the most iconic Mario Kart cup ever. It starts off with Mario Circuit..., again. Sigh, how many circuits are there in this game? Six? That's almost as bad as Mario Kart DS! But I digress, because even if this course is kinda lame, the other three tracks are nothing short of amazing. Back when Coconut Mall was an actual mall, and not a shell of its former self, it was one of the most interesting courses ever as a kid. Most of us probably went to a mall as a kid with our parents, so we have it ingrained in our memory, and they perfectly captured the feeling in this track with the escalators..., bazaars, and the colour scheme..., how, did they mess this up so badly in Mario Kart 8? Now DK's Snowboard Cross is a track I've never quite liked as much as other people, but I can still see the magic of it. Yes, I call it Snowboard Cross! ...more

The Star Cup, believe it or not, used to be my favourite cup in Mario Kart Wii for a long time. In fact, it wasn't until the making of this video that I sat down and considered, maybe it's not aged as well as I thought? Well that wasn't the case. It's still as good as I remember it, the only difference is that another cup is even better than I remember, demoting this one to 2nd place. But the quality of this one, is still ground-breaking. The opening track is Daisy Circuit, but don't let that name fool you. This is by far the best Circuit track in the entire series. Mostly because it doesn't play like one, rather it's a nice stroll through a harbour town bathing in a yellow sunset. It's so soothing, and mind you this is the weak track of the cup. The other three, Koopa Cape, Maple Treeway and Grumble Volcano, are amazing. People usually argue about which of these three is the best of the best. Personally, I've always been a Koopa Cape guy, as the green forests and rushing waterfalls ...more

The Special Cup, is no doubt my favourite cup in Mario Kart Wii. This, kind of surprised me upon replaying it. The Special Cup always contains the most difficult and ambitious tracks in the series, and most of the time, the best tracks as well. That was the case with the first four games. However, with Mario Kart DS and the introduction of retro tracks, a lot of that specialness was instead transported to the Star and Lightning Cups, thereby rendering the future Special Cups underwhelming..., except for Mario Kart Wii's one. Somehow, this managed one of the best Special Cups in the series, and maybe even one of the best cups ever. It already starts off strong with Dry Dry Ruins. Desert tracks have a reputation for being bland and empty, and while I don't particularly agree with that statement, Dry Dry Ruins blows all previous incarnations out of the water, since there's more to it than just the desert now. Even the music has much more energy than usually. Moonview Highway might be the ...more