Big Blue
- This article is about the DLC course in Mario Kart 8. For the stage fromSuper Smash Bros. Melee,Brawl, andUltimate, seeList of stages debuting in Super Smash Bros. Melee § Big Blue.
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| Appears in | Mario Kart 8 (DLC Pack 2) (2015) Mario Kart 8 Deluxe (2017) | ||||||||||||||||||
| Cup | Bell Cup | ||||||||||||||||||
| Based on | Big Blue | ||||||||||||||||||
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Big Blue is the fourth and last course of theBell Cup included with theAnimal Crossing ×Mario Kart 8 downloadable content inMario Kart 8 as well as the base content ofMario Kart 8 Deluxe. This course is based on theBig Blue course that appears throughout theF-Zero series. In the same way as inMute City,Coins can only be obtained by driving over thePit areas,Item Boxes, or picking up the coins dropped by other players. This is the only DLC course inMario Kart 8 (and the sixth overall in theMario Kart series) to be divided into three sections instead of three laps. Just like on Mute City, Big Blue has theF-Zero version of the starting grid countdown and results theme instead of the normal version. This track shares similar characteristics and features to the game's originalRainbow Road. The music of the course is split in two parts: the first part plays in the first two sections, and the second part plays in the final section.
This is the second course afterMount Wario to have separate soundtracks for different laps/sections. This may be an homage toF-Zero GX, as that game has an identical method of handling the music for its courses (i.e. having the initial variation of a tune play on the first and second laps and so on, while the second variation plays on the final lap).
Course layout[edit]
The entirety of the course is inanti-gravity, much like Mute City. The first section starts off on a straightaway that leads into a bend withDash Panels andPit areas. After a slight jump, the road splits into two paths; only one has a recharge path, but both contain Dash Panels. Both paths end in a jump leading onto one track that contains several conveyor belts similar to the ones in the space station onRainbow Road, one moving forward and the other moving backwards, that go through several bends on this segment. The conveyor belts end in a gliding pad, leading the player to two recharge paths and the next section of the race.
The second section is lined entirely with water, increasing the speed of the player should they remain in it. After the first bend of the section, the track jumps and splits into two paths, though both end up leading into a single track with recharge strips, with the player passing throughrings. After a few bends, a gliding pad similar to a cannon takes the player into the next and final section of the race.
The third section has several conveyor belts going backwards and forwards, each containing one or two Dash Panels. After a couple of turns, the track splits into two paths, both containing several Dash Panels and ending in a small jump into the final stretch of the race. The final segment bends in a slight curve and contains several dirt patches that can be boosted over withMushrooms or other speed-boosting items. At the end of this segment is the finish line.
Shortcuts[edit]
- In the first section, on the corners with moving platforms,Mushrooms can be used to cut off the corners.
- Players can drive off the edge of the track midway on the first waterway on the left, to land on the Pit areas beyond the rings.
- A bigger, more difficult shortcut on this section can be done in 200cc. After taking the left path, players can exit the next turn early (as soon as the guard rail ends) and hold down on the contol stick to stay in the air longer, use left and right to maneuver around the canyon wall, and land back on the track, skipping a couple of turns.
- On the split path in the final section, after taking the lower path on the right, players can do two path switches on the turns where the guard rails are absent in order to continually be on the leftmost path.
- On the last section of track, Mushrooms can be used to cut off the bends in the track just before the finish line.
Mario Kart 8 Original Soundtrack liner notes[edit]
"When it came to arranging a song as well-loved as this one, I felt I had no choice but to really go for it. We had the sax and guitar engage in a kind of duel before a drum solo cuts in, and then added a buzzing bass solo on top of that. The performances on this track really are white hot!"
Gallery[edit]
The course icon
The full course icon
Results screen
AMii at the starting line
Link performing aJump Boost at the third section of the course.
Link winning the race on the track
Pit areas are in replacement for coins on this course
The water slides portion of the track
Luigi, in theBlue Falcon, driving over a recharge pathway
Dry Bowser drifts around one of the waterways, at the second section of the track
Toad, in theBlue Falcon, driving on the track
Toad, taking one of the two gliding sections of the track, near the end of the second section
Blue Falcon stamp (shared withMute City)
Naming[edit]
Internal names[edit]
| Game | File | Name | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| Mario Kart 8/Mario Kart 8 Deluxe | Du_BigBlue | DLCU Big Blue |
Names in other languages[edit]
| Language | Name | Meaning | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Japanese | ビッグブルー[3] Biggu Burū | Big Blue | |
| Chinese | 碧海[3] Bìhǎi(Mandarin) Bīkhói(Cantonese) | Azure Sea | |
| Dutch | Big Blue[3] | - | |
| French | Big Blue[3] | - | |
| German | Big Blue[3] | - | |
| Italian | Big Blue[3] | - | |
| Korean | 빅 블루[3] Bik Beullu | Big Blue | |
| Portuguese | Big Blue[3] | - | |
| Russian | Синеморь[3] Sinemor' | Blue Sea Land | |
| Spanish(Latin American) | Gran Azul[3] | Great Blue | |
| Spanish(European) | Big Blue[3] | - |
Notes[edit]
- Reaching the final section will have an announcer speak, saying "Yeah!! The final lap!" using the voice clip fromF-Zero X which was provided by Jim Wornell instead of the usual "Final Lap!" music. It is the only course inMario Kart 8 andMario Kart 8 Deluxe with this distinction.
- Big Blue,GBA Cheese Land,Sky-High Sundae, andWii Rainbow Road are the only courses that contain gliding segments taking place entirely in anti-gravity.
- The glider segment from the second segment to the third segment is similar to the boost ring glider segment onRainbow Road, which launches racers at a straight line like acannon. Furthermore, both sections have the same sound effect when driven through.
- This course,N64 Kalimari Desert, andTour Singapore Speedway are the only sectioned courses inMario Kart 8 Deluxe to not show itsfinish line locations on its mini-map other than its main one.
References[edit]
- ^https://vgmdb.net/album/200
- ^@zachruff (May 22, 2022)."So it turns out that there are 4 staff ghosts in the Tencent Chinese version of MK8D that are actually different to the global version. It seems that they really did not like the Mercedes car parts so any ghost that used them had to be redone."Twitter. Retrieved May 24, 2022.
- ^abcdefghijkString1496 in fileUI/<language>/message.sarc/Common.msbt.Mario Kart 8 Deluxe (2017). Nintendo EPD et al.
