Top 10 Worst Bowser Castles in Mario Kart
A type of course that always appears in each Mario Kart game is Bowser's Castle. These are typically some of the hardest tracks in the game, excluding the flat SNES and GBA ones. They are usually placed second-to-last in the Special Cups, again excluding the SNES, GBA, and N64 versions. They are also generally considered some of the better tracks in the game, but not all are great. So, I'm making a list about the worst ones.
Without a doubt, this is the worst Bowser's Castle out there. All of the flat and numbered Bowser Castles were just so underwhelming and uninteresting, at least the SNES ones. They all use the same music, same background, same art style, same tiling, and so on. The worst offender is SNES Bowser Castle 2, my least favorite course of all time. The turns are way too tight and sharp, and there's a dead end in a Mario Kart game! There's nothing redeemable about the course. It also looks bland, and the music is horrific. It's just terrible!
This is essentially SNES Bowser Castle 2, except the turns are wider and there's no dead end, making it more tolerable. It's certainly not a fun course, though, because it still retains the same aesthetics and music. But it's overall... a bit better, I must say.
The GBA Bowser Castles, while also numerous, were better than the SNES counterparts. The turns are all way more tolerable to make, and the background changes for each course. Heck, the third one even changed the aesthetics! The weakest was definitely the first one. It's just so unbelievably easy that it's boring. Bowser Castle tracks are not meant to be boring. The background is alright, but it also contributes to the boredom because everything is just red. Overall, not a good course.
This track is slightly decent. It's way better than its predecessors in that it's not frustratingly difficult while not being boring and uninteresting. The turns are tight and hard, but they are done more creatively and are more fun than in the predecessors. There's a part where you must make tons of jumps over lava with different paths. Overall, it's better but still not that great.
Slightly better than its predecessor and a little fun. The background has a statue of Bowser on a throne with purple walls and red cylinders holding up the roof in front of the statue. The design is more interesting, as there are a lot of jump boosts, some of which send you into the lava without a mushroom. Other than that, not much else to say.
Eh, it's just okay, and it's more fun to play.
The first track on the list is pretty good. This is probably the longest Bowser's Castle on the list and it's certainly interesting. The background features some sort of machine with Bowser's emblem on it, which raises a lot of questions. What is that machine? The design includes multiple jumps, one of which is particularly high and features Mechakoopas blocking your way. In the future, this could serve as a retro track with a gliding ramp, I think. However, the aesthetics generally maintain the same beige color, which ranks this course higher on the list.
This is... it's okay, I guess. It's kind of a remake of the Double Dash Bowser Castle, except it's boring sometimes. The first half is pretty cool, and the part where you go up and spin is cool, and the spinning wheel is awesome - especially because if you fall off, you won't die. However, everything after that is awful, and the music sucks here too.
Out of the 3D Bowser's Castles, the DS one is definitely the worst. It feels like a somewhat lazy rehash of the GCN version, both in design and music, only worsened. However, I do like the spinning wheel halfway through the course, where you can fall off without having to be picked up by Lakitu. So, yeah.
The best flat Bowser's Castle is the third one from MKSC. Not only does it have a cool course design, but the aesthetics and background are stellar. Instead of the usual ugly beige, we're greeted with a gorgeous blue and a thunderstorm in the background. You can also see Kamek at the end of the course. Overall, it's a great course.
This track is a solid 8 for me, but something had to take the #10 spot, obviously. Compared to legends like the Wii's or N64's Bowser Castle, the 3DS Bowser Castle is a little lackluster but could've been another legend. For one, the difficulty is a little on the easy side for me, and the water section is a little weird. It's also very short and is over before you know it. Let's not forget, you only spend 50% of the time in the castle, and the other half is outside on a rocky mountainside. This is both a pro and con depending on who you ask. I personally think it's cool, but spending 50% of the time outside the castle is a bit much. Other than that, it's really great. The music is amazing and apocalyptic, and the features that are offered are well-liked by me. Overall, it's a great course.
This is a controversial choice. For being the newest one, you'd expect it to have the most content and craziness. And it sure does. The music in this track is something else, man - awesome - and it's all chaos. There's lava everywhere, tight jumps, and a Bowser statue punching the floor. It's all so content-filled and mad. However, in all honesty, don't you think it's a bit too much? It feels like it strays too far from what a Bowser Castle should be, like it's too "modern" and mechanical. I would've wished for it to be a little more cartoony like the others. But I still think it's a good track and didn't ruin the game, unlike Rainbow Road.