GBA Ribbon Road
| Ribbon Road | |||||||||||||||
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| Appears in | Mario Kart: Super Circuit (2001) Mario Kart 8 (DLC Pack 2) (2015) Mario Kart 8 Deluxe (2017) | ||||||||||||||
| Cup(s) | Star Cup (Super Circuit) Bell Cup (8,8 Deluxe) | ||||||||||||||
| Online play | No longer available (Wii U) Available (Switch) | ||||||||||||||
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Ribbon Road is the second course of theStar Cup inMario Kart: Super Circuit. The course returns as aclassic course in theMario Kart 8DLC Pack 2 andMario Kart 8 Deluxe as the second track of theBell Cup. The entire road is made of a giant stretch of ribbon, hence the name.
Mario Kart: Super Circuit[edit]
The original course as featured inMario Kart: Super Circuit is set in a world made entirely of craft materials and presents, and begins in a straight red road that soon leads to a curve to the right. It is a circular curve that leads the player intoDash Panels and makes the player boost past and over the section of the road they were in. Here a shortcut may be performed if the player takes all the Dash Panels and then makes a sharp turn to the right after jumping. It is risky and may land the racer off the track, but it is useful for getting ahead of other racers. Past the ramp is a short straight road that turns left into a straight road, and another curve to the left that will also lead the player into Dash Panels and a ramp that will speed the player past a previous section of the course.
After the second and final ramp is a curve to the right that leads the player into a twisty, but one-directional road that has off road and presents to slow the player. After the twisty road is another twisty road past the curve to the right that leads the player southwest the course and two more minor curves to the left, that leads the player into the southernmost part of the course.
There is a slightly straight, but curvy road in the last straight road before the finish line. The first section of this road is straight, but there is a very minor curve to the left that leads the player even further down the course until they meet a curve to the right that leads into the road with the finish line. It is straight and it leads the player back into the finish/starting line.
Shortcuts[edit]
This course has only one shortcut that can be used without a Mushroom. From the first large ramp, the player must drive over all of the Dash Panels and take a sharp right turn. This allows them to skip the part of the course that leads to the second ramp.
Mario Kart 8 /Mario Kart 8 Deluxe[edit]
Ribbon Road makes its classic course debut inMario Kart 8 as a classic course in the add-on pack,Animal Crossing ×Mario Kart 8, as well as in the base content ofMario Kart 8 Deluxe, as the second race of theBell Cup. The course is now set in a bedroom at toy size, that not only features gift boxes, similar to the original, but stuffed Yoshis (based on Yarn Yoshi),Koopa Clown Car jack-in-the-boxes, toy versions of karts used inMario Kart 8,Mini Toads and aMario Kart 8 poster on the bedroom's wall as well. The track surface now has three different colors of ribbons with theseries logo printed on it, instead of just red as in the original.
The course now features a starting banner, which is made of coral pink and lavender colored ribbon arches, with the course's name featured on the front star details on the sides of the banner and on the tips of the arches, as well as a wooden ornament made of a ribbon and a Super Bell on top. Also, much likeGCN Yoshi Circuit andGBA Cheese Land, the modernMario Kart logo is used instead of the classic logo that the course had in its original appearance.
The course contains three colored sections with castle walls of different colors. Out of the start/finish line, racers travel through the first section, which has red ribbons on pink carpet with castle walls, mini Toads, and Super Bell icons - this section is based onPrincess Peach. After doing a three-quarter turn, the racers go through the first jump and enter the second section of castle, where the track is now a green ribbon with light green carpet, withBowser-colored castle walls with his icon on them and wind-upMechakoopas posing as hazards - this section is based on Bowser. After another three-quarter turn, the racers go through the second jump and enter an anti-gravity segment, with floating blue ribbons, blue-white castle walls, withLuma symbols and stars on the spires - this section is based onRosalina and her power of levitation. The anti-gravity segment ends in a gliding segment, with racers having to dodge Jack-in-the-Box Koopa Clown Cars before returning to the red ribbon portion of the track. After another U-turn, the track returns to the start/finish line.
The music has also been remade, now with a slowed-down surf-rock rendition of the previous theme, and the key has been changed from B major to C major (C#/D♭ major on the final lap). The final lap version of the music also has a different, shorter intro; this distinction is shared withRock Rock Mountain inMario Kart 7,Toad Harbor,3DS DK Jungle,Mute City, andSNES Bowser Castle 3.
Shortcuts[edit]
- Mushrooms or a Star can be used to cut the corners in the green segment of the track.
- The player can make a sharp drift onto a ramp next to theTeddy Buggy statue.
- Before the main gliding area with the two Jack-in-the-Box Koopa Clown Cars, the player can drift onto a hidden glider ramp.
- Upon returning to the red ribbon portion of the track, after gliding, players can take a sharp right turn through the ribbon arches using a Mushroom or Star to cut off the wide curve.
References to theSuper Mario franchise[edit]
TheMario Kart 8 version of the course contains several references to the game itself and theSuper Mario franchise which can be seen in the background:
- TheSuper Bell appears on many aspects of the track, reflecting thecup that the track is in.
- Mini Toads from theMario vs. Donkey Kong series appear at the beginning of the track.
- Multiple large knittedYoshis resembling both their appearance inYoshi's Woolly World and the Yarn Yoshi series ofamiibo.
- After the first ramp, there is a boomerang in the background resembling the one from aBoomerang Flower inSuper Mario 3D Land andSuper Mario 3D World (when used byToad).
- A board game called "Yoshi's Dice Game" has the map ofGCN Yoshi Circuit on the box.
- A poster featuring the box art ofMario Kart 8.
- Toy kits can be seen for variousMario Kart 8 karts. They display the stats for the karts, as well as the parts used within theKart orATV, including theGliders. The combinations are Mario andLuigi'sStandard Karts withStandard tires and theSuper Glider, Toad'sTeddy Buggy withButton tires and theParachute glider, andBaby Daisy'sBiddybuggy with Standard tires and theFlower Glider.
- A Ribbon Road toy kit box withBaby Mario on the box that references theMario Kart track sets fromK'NEX.
- There are also sized-up versions Standard Kart, Teddy Buggy and Biddybuggy.
- Toad's character icon artwork fromSuper Mario 3D World can be seen on two gift boxes, although it is recolored representing his typical red dot, blue vest color scheme. The 2D artworks ofRed Shells,Super Stars,Fire Flowers,Coins,Green Shells,Bullet Bills,? Blocks andBob-ombs, as well as the Toad Toy Store Logo can be seen on the same wrapping paper as well.
- A Standard Kart structure poster appears on the bedroom wall.
Sponsors[edit]
Mario Kart 8 / Mario Kart 8 Deluxe[edit]
- Kung Fu Lakitu (Poster)
- Lemmy's Tire Service (Logos)
- Mario Motors (Logos)
- Toad Toy Store (Logos)
Mario Kart 8 Original Soundtrack liner notes[edit]
"This is really different from the original track. We hadn't expected to end up with this kind of steady stomping sound, but it ends up working surprisingly well. I hope you agree!"
Gallery[edit]
Mario Kart: Super Circuit[edit]
Mario Kart 8 /Mario Kart 8 Deluxe[edit]
The course icon
The full course icon
Results screen
The course curves around the castle
Overview of the course
Jack-in-the-BoxKoopa Clown Cars
Mario at the starting line, ready to race
Dry Bowser races past twoMechakoopas
Yoshi in the anti-gravity section
Toadette turning a corner in herMr. Scooty
The stamp for this course
Miscellaneous[edit]
Promotional banner fromTencent'sNintendo Switch online store onJD.com during the Double 11 promotion
Names in other languages[edit]
| Language | Name | Meaning | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Japanese | リボンロード[?] Ribon Rōdo | Ribbon Road | |
| Chinese (simplified) | 缎带之路[?] Duàndài Zhī Lù | Ribbon Road | |
| 彩带路[1] Cǎidài Lù | Mario Kart: Super Circuit | ||
| Chinese (traditional) | 緞帶之路[?] Duàndài Zhī Lù | Ribbon Road | |
| Dutch | Sprintlint[?] | Dash Ribbon | |
| French | Route Ruban[?] | Ribbon Road | |
| German | Party-Straße[?] | Party Road | |
| Italian | Strada del Fiocco[?] | Bow Road | |
| Korean | 리본 로드[?] Ribon Rodeu | Ribbon Road | |
| Portuguese | Estrada de Fita[?] | Ribbon Road | |
| Russian | Серпантин[?] Serpantin | Serpentine/Streamer | |
| Spanish (NOA) | Ruta Listón[?] | Ribbon Route | |
| Spanish (NOE) | Ruta del Lazo[?] | Ribbon Route | |
| Calle de los regalos[2] | Street of the presents | Mario Kart: Super Circuit European instruction booklet |
Notes[edit]
- It is the only course from theStar Cup ofSuper Circuit to not be remade inMario Kart Tour.
References[edit]
- ^From the iQue localization prototype.
- ^Mario Kart: Super Circuit Instruction Booklet (EU) (PDF). Page 93.
