Bowser's Castle is a recurring track in the Mario Kart series. It first appears in Mario Kart 64 and returns in Mario Kart Wii. It takes place inside the castle of the same name. Like in its previous incarnation in Super Mario Kart, it is the last course of the Star Cup.
Layout[]
Unlike in its previous incarnation, and similar to Mario Kart: Double Dash!! and onward, Mario Kart 64's version of Bowser's Castle starts outside.
It features several Thwomps that try to block drivers from getting to further areas. Near the beginning of the course, there is an imprisoned Thwomp tinted green with yellow teeth due to the lighting, who will shake and laugh if the player goes near it. The laugh can also be heard by the normal Thwomps throughout the course. In further corridors there are pictures of Bowser and large stone statues that shoot flames from their mouths, but they are harmless. At the end of the track racers will race on the roof of the castle. On the last lap, or when the player gets too close to the Bowser statue at the start of the track, Bowser's famed laugh plays. Thwomps are the main obstacle in this course. Most of them will move around the room and try to crush the racers and some slide across the room. The Thwomps' laugh in the N64 version is the same as Wario's, only pitched down. Because Wario's voice changed for the international release, the Thwomps' voices changed with it.
Mario Kart Wii[]
Bowser's Castle makes its classic course debut as the fourth and last course of the Lightning Cup in Mario Kart Wii, as well as the thirty-second and last course of the game overall. The castle has been redesigned to become more realistic and windows have been added outside. In the final section, Lava Geysers spring out from the pits to cause the drivers to bowl over, especially when racers attempt to jump. Due to lighting improvements, the imprisoned Thwomp no longer appears green, but it still reacts when players drive near it. The evil laugh made by the sliding Thwomps in the original version is no longer heard; instead, they make angry expressions and rumbling noises. The large Bowser statue near the start can now harm racers with its fire breath, but the smaller flame-shooting statues are still harmless. Bowser's laugh is still heard on entry on the final lap, or when the player gets too close to the Bowser statue at the start of the track. It is the longest retro course in the game (as well as the longest course overall), taking around one minute per lap. The bridge that comes before the long circular turn before the end is now broken, with Lava Geysers on the sides. Additionally, the ramp after the spiral has a Dash Panel on it, making the jump easier. The Bowser portraits, which in the original used his artwork from Super Mario Bros. 3, now resemble his artwork from Super Mario Galaxy. Bowser's laugh that plays in the Wii version uses Kenny James's voice, which is the current portrayal of Bowser.
This is the only course in Mario Kart Wii's Lightning Cup to not return in neither Mario Kart Tour nor Mario Kart 8 Deluxe.
Tournaments[]
March 2009's second tournament required players to complete a race on Bowser's Castle against Dry Bowser, driving the Offroader. In addition to regular items, Dry Bowser is able to constantly use a Fireball attack not seen anywhere else in the game. Additionally, all Item Boxes will either contain a Mushroom, Star, Triple Bananas, or Triple Green Shells. Vehicles are restricted to karts only. The tournament was later repeated as the second tournament of June 2010, though without any vehicle restrictions, and the second tournament of March 2011.
Trivia[]
- This is the last time Bowser's Castle will not be the penultimate course in a Mario Kart game.
- In the Mario Kart 64 instruction manual, there are triangles at the third bridge and between the jumps afterward telling the player(s) to watch for falling rocks, despite the fact that there are no falling rocks or any other obstacle in that area. This is actually a translation error; in the Japanese manual, this is merely a warning not to fall off the track, with the kanji used being similar to the ones used to describe the falling rocks in Choco Mountain.
Gallery[]
Mario Kart Wii[]
