Dash Panel
- Not to be confused withDash no Panel.
| Dash Panel | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Artwork fromCaptain Toad: Treasure Tracker | |||
| First appearance | Super Mario Kart (1992) | ||
| Latest appearance | Mario Kart World (2025) | ||
| Effect | Speeds the player up when touched | ||
| |||
| |||
Dash Panels (also formatted asdash panels),[1][2][3][4] also namedZippers,Turbo Plates,[5]Turbo Tiles,[5]Boost Pads, and other names depending on the game, are special panels that make the player go faster. They are most prominently featured onrace courses in theMario Kart series.
History[edit]
Mario Kart series[edit]
Super Mario Kart[edit]
Dash Panels, named Zippers,[6] first appear inSuper Mario Kart, where they appear as yellow arrows. They appear inBowser Castle 1,Mario Circuit 2,Ghost Valley 2,Bowser Castle 2,Mario Circuit 3,Bowser Castle 3 andGhost Valley 3. In Mario Circuit 2, Zippers are used to make a large jump. In theVirtual Console release, they are namedSpeed Pads.[7]
Mario Kart 64[edit]
Dash Panels, namedDash Zones[8] andbooster arrows,[9] reappear inMario Kart 64 inRoyal Raceway andD.K.'s Jungle Parkway. They appear as scrolling yellow and red arrows, and they are used to launch racers over large gaps similarly tocannons in later games. They are larger than inSuper Mario Kart. Ramps that look like Dash Zones appear inKoopa Troopa Beach.
Mario Kart: Super Circuit[edit]
InMario Kart: Super Circuit, they are namedSpeed Strips,[10] and are smaller than inMario Kart 64. Speed Strips appear in fourteen courses. They act the same as they did inSuper Mario Kart and are often used to make large jumps off ramps, such as inRibbon Road. With the exception ofMario Circuit 2, all extra courses had their Speed Strips removed.
Mario Kart: Double Dash!![edit]
Dash Panels, also namedRainbow Ramps,[11] are objects inMario Kart: Double Dash!!. They are now designed as rainbow-colored panels with a rectangular shape. Starting in this game, Dash Panels grants roughly the same boost strength as using aMushroom.
Mario Kart DS[edit]
Dash Panels reappear inMario Kart DS with a design similar toMario Kart: Double Dash!!'s, except with more vibrant colors. InGBA Bowser Castle 2, ramp-based Dash Panels use their old design, while others use the new design.
Mario Kart Wii[edit]
Dash Panels reappear inMario Kart Wii, where most of them have a similar design to the ones inMario Kart: Double Dash!! but with the color changing to pink, red, orange, and yellow, though they were alloriginally meant to retain the rainbow colors fromMario Kart: Double Dash!! (whichCoconut Mall still uses).Tricks can now be performed off of Dash Panels that are on ramps in order to gain a jump boost. Every Wii course in the game features a Dash Panel. Classic courses from games older thanMario Kart: Double Dash!! that contain Dash Panels keep their original design, such as inSNES Mario Circuit 3.Halfpipe-style boost ramps are also introduced in this game, which signal the locations where the player can jump and perform tricks off the sides of courses.
Mario Kart 7[edit]
Dash Panels reappear inMario Kart 7, where they no longer change color, and are only orange. A new blue variant calledGlide Ramps appear which do not increase the player's speed and deploy the player'sGlider when driven over. Tricks can also be performed off of Glide Ramps.
Mario Kart 8 /Mario Kart 8 Deluxe[edit]
Dash Panels and Glide Ramps reappear inMario Kart 8 andMario Kart 8 Deluxe, where the arrows on the Dash Panels are pixelated. InN64 Toad's Turnpike,dash panel ramp trucks appear which have a Dash Panel and a Glide Ramp on them.Antigravity Panels appear, which automatically set the Kart intoanti-gravity mode. It ends automatically, often after a ramp or a gliding section. When going backwards, the anti-gravity automatically turns on or off when passing over the anti-gravity panel.
Dash Panels do not speed up the player when inactive. In some courses, some Dash Panels become inactive under certain conditions:
- Cloudtop Cruise: The Dash Panels in the thundercloud segment will switch off when struck by lightning.
- Bowser's Castle: When they are in contact withLava Bowser's fist.
- Rainbow Road: They switch on and off when the conveyor belts change directions.
- Hyrule Circuit: When not all of theSpin Boost Pillars' diamonds are lit up.
- Super Bell Subway: When a train drives on one, the Dash Panel become inactive.
Mario Kart Tour[edit]
Dash Panels, Glide Ramps and half-pipes reappear inMario Kart Tour. They act the same as in previous games, except for half-pipes that feature new mechanics. The player now automatically tricks off of Glide Ramps and Dash Panels which are on ramps. Using a Dash Panel gives the player points.
The following karts increase boost time and points from going over a Dash Panel.
| Special skill | Karts |
|---|---|
Dash Panel Plus Increases Dash Panel boost time and points earned for using one. | +5 points |
| +10 points | |
| +15 points | |
Mario Kart Live: Home Circuit[edit]
InMario Kart Live: Home Circuit,boosts, or aboost zone, reappear, but with a new 3-D arrow design. They can be placed as a gate customization. Any racer that drives through the gate will receive a short burst of speed. The player can also set the boost to be an entire length, or be in certain spots.
Mario Kart World[edit]
Dash Panels return inMario Kart World. Similar toMario Kart Wii, the Dash Panels now have a pink-yellow-orange-red gradient (though they do not change colors), and their design now includes white arrows that resemble those on the half-pipe ramps inMario Kart Wii. Player-controlled racers gain a special effect when driving over a Dash Panel, in contrast to the other racers.[12] The Dash Panels reverse direction depending on the player's camera angle; i.e. if the camera is angled towards one way of a road or path, the arrows on the Dash Panel switch to move that way.[13]
Yoshi's Safari[edit]
InYoshi's Safari, Dash Zones,[14] depicted as a big yellow double chevron on the ground, appear in various stages of the game. When stepping on it, Yoshi will temporarily move at a faster speed for a few meters. There are also some that point backwards and will boost Yoshi back.
Diddy Kong Racing /Diddy Kong Racing DS[edit]
- “Take your finger off the accelerator, just before you hit a Zipper!”
- —Taj,Diddy Kong Racing
Zippers appear inDiddy Kong Racing andDiddy Kong Racing DS. They function similarly as in theMario Kart series, but like with other speed boosts in the game, letting go of the
button before touching one results in a bigger speed boost with green fire and rainbow-colored smoke. There are three variants of Zippers, one for each vehicle. While they all have the same red-and-yellow chevron pattern, each vehicle's Zipper has a different appearance and is positioned based on the associated terrain.Car Zippers are arrow-shaped panels placed on the ground, thehovercraft variant is shaped like a triangle and located on bodies of water, and theplane variant is ring-shaped and located in the air. The hovercraft and plane variants are slightly transparent and animated, whereas the car variant is opaque and static. Any vehicle can use any Zipper, though it is difficult and counterproductive for a car to even touch a hovercraft or plane Zipper, whereas a plane can easily reach any of them, and a hovercraft is in the middle. Many hovercraft and plane Zippers do not appear if no player has selected the matching vehicle, while most car Zippers are always present. Hovercraft and plane Zippers also have the property of turning racers to face the desired direction before they activate, whereas car Zippers do not modify heading at all.
Mario & Sonic series[edit]
Mario & Sonic at the Olympic Games[edit]
Dash Panels reappear in theNintendo DS version ofMario & Sonic at the Olympic Games, where they appear in theDream Race event and function similarly to their appearances in other games. They also appear in theWiiversion, where they also appear inDream Race, however in this version of the event their positions change each lap. In the DS version of the game, Dash Panels are rainbow colored and a red and yellow arrows in the middle. In the Wii version of the game, they are smaller and switch between yellow and orange.
Mario & Sonic at the Olympic Winter Games[edit]
Dash Panels reappear in theNintendo DS version ofMario & Sonic at the Olympic Winter Games, where they appear in theSki Cross Racing event, functioning the same as in other games and having a similar design to Dash Panels inMario Kart Wii. BoostedRamps using various numbers of Dash Panels also appear in this event. A single long Dash Panel appears inIntense Short Track, where it appears near the end of the course, though in this event the characters only receive a small speed boost when they reach the end of the Dash Panel. Numerous Dash Panels appear on theDeluxe Halfpipe course, where they provide the player with a large speed boost. Another single panel appears inBlazing Bobsleigh, where it gives the characters a speed boost when they pass over it.
In the Wiiversion, Dash Panels appear in both theindividual andteam versions of Dream Ski Cross, where they give characters that pass over them a short speed boost as well as angling them to better follow the course.
Mario & Sonic at the London 2012 Olympic Games[edit]
Dash Panels reappear in both versions ofMario & Sonic at the London 2012 Olympic Games, where they are generically namedpanels. In theWiiversion, they appear exclusively in theDream Equestrian event, where they appear in theMoo Moo Meadows course. In the event they use theirMario Kart Wii appearance and are surrounded by a wooden border. In theNintendo 3DS version they only appear in the1500m event, where they are blue, green, and yellow, and are surrounded by a white border. Other items which act similarly appear in the10km Marathon Swim andSailing - 470 (Pair) events. They act the same as they did in previous games.
Mario & Sonic at the Sochi 2014 Olympic Winter Games[edit]
Dash Panels appear inGroove Pipe Snowboard inMario & Sonic at the Sochi 2014 Olympic Winter Games, where they look and function as they do in theMario Kart series.
Mario & Sonic at the Olympic Games Tokyo 2020[edit]
Dash Panels reappear inMario & Sonic at the Olympic Games Tokyo 2020, where they are red and white. They appear in theHighway Chase andMarathon (2D) minigames. They act same as they did in previous games.
Mario Party series[edit]
Mario Party 9 /Mario Party: The Top 100[edit]
Dash Panels, nameddash zones, reappear inMario Party 9 in theminigameSpeeding Bullets, including the minigame's reappearance inMario Party: The Top 100. Dash zones are used to accelerate the character's speed when they are used. They are orange and are in the shape of an arrow. In Time Attack mode, the bonus challenge for Speeding Bullets is to not miss a single dash zone. The introduction cutscene for the minigame shows a player going over a dash zone. A dash zone that is named adash ramp also appears inSnow Go which sends the player over thick snow. In Time Attack mode, the bonus challenge is to use it in all ten laps.
Mario Party: Island Tour[edit]
Dash Panels reappear inMario Party: Island Tour, where they are present in two minigames:Gyro for the Gold andMr. Blizzard's Snow Slalom. In the former, they are used to cross gaps between the platforms of the obstacle course, and have arrows which move on the Dash Panels quickly. In the latter, they look similar to Dash Panels inMario Kart 7 and are used to launch the player's snowball atMr. Blizzard.
Super Mario Party[edit]
Dash Panels reappear inSuper Mario Party, where flat Dash Panels appear in the River Survival mode on the water's surface, boosting the raft forwards when run over. Dash Panels on ramps also appear, which are used to reach minigame balloons and+ Clocks suspended in the air. The flat Dash Panels are orange and yellow, while the Dash Panels on ramps are red and yellow. Dash Panels also appear with theirMario Kart 8 appearance in the minigameBarreling Along, where they boost players forwards.
Super Mario Party Jamboree[edit]
Dash Panels reappear inSuper Mario Party Jamboree as items inBowser Kaboom Squad. Dash Panels are placed on the ground, and a player that steps on one sprints at high speed. Single, double, and triple quantities of Dash Panels can be obtained depending on the players' rank in an 8-player minigame.
Super Mario series[edit]
Super Mario 3D World /Super Mario 3D World + Bowser's Fury[edit]
Dash Panels reappear inSuper Mario 3D World andSuper Mario 3D World + Bowser's Fury. They are square-shaped and feature a pixelated diamond animation. When character runs on it, it will blink and will increase their speed. Characters cannot stop running or crouch and cannot make large changes in direction without being in the air during a speed boost. All characters run at the same speed when boosted. Jumping will slow boosted characters down slightly, especially if an ability such as floating is used. Characters will immediately return to full speed upon landing if the boost has not run out.
Super Mario Maker 2[edit]
While Dash Panels do not appear inSuper Mario Maker 2, similar objects known asDash Blocks, which are based on the Dash Panels inSuper Mario 3D World, appear as placeable course elements.
Mario Golf series[edit]
Dash Panels are objects in theMario Golf series. InMario Golf: World Tour, pink, heart-shaped Dash Panels appear in all holes ofPeach Gardens except hole four, and the speed the golf ball up on contact. InMario Golf: Super Rush, Dash Panels depicted with theirSuper Mario 3D World design appear in the Battle Golf mode and inNew Donk City, though unlike the previous game, the Dash Panels only affect characters dashing in Speed Golf or Battle Golf, and not golf balls.
Captain Toad: Treasure Tracker[edit]
Dash Panels reappear inCaptain Toad: Treasure Tracker and its Nintendo Switch and Nintendo 3DSports, where they have the same appearance and function that they had inSuper Mario 3D World. SinceCaptain Toad is unable tojump, and thus cannot arbitrarily enter the air to slow down or make larger turns, the player cannot as easily adjust his speed compared to how the player could for the characters inSuper Mario 3D World. They appear inMagma Road Marathon, where the player has to use them in order to advance and to not get hit byCharvaarghs, and they also appear inDrop-Road Dash. In theNintendo Switch andNintendo 3DS versions of the game, they also appear inCookatiel's Sizzling Sprint.
Mario & Luigi: Paper Jam[edit]
Dash Panels appear inMario & Luigi: Paper Jam, where they are white and orange, first appearing in themissionWait Up, Yoshi! inGloomy Woods. When the Dash Panels are stepped on, the trio dashes in the direction the arrows point. The trio cannot change their direction while they are dashing. In theToad Trail challenge in theAttackathon, Dash Panels appear and can speed up Mario and Luigi's ball form, allowing them to ramGoomba targets for extra points.
Mini Mario & Friends: amiibo Challenge[edit]
Dash Panels, namedBoost Pads, reappear inMini Mario & Friends: amiibo Challenge, where they have orange and yellow arrows which move and blue handles on the sides. They appear in every level in the worldBoost Pad Bonanza.Mini Toys temporarily speed up after touching them, with this state further overriding their normal behavior of falling straight down when there is no ground supporting them by letting them conserve their horizontal momentum while airborne. Boost Pads are either on the ground or on walls, the latter of which causes Mini Toys to run up or down the wall. If the wall ends mid run, the Mini Toy keeps moving as though the wall was still there. Tapping a Boost Pad reverses the directions of all Boost Pads in a level.
Other appearances[edit]
The plane-based Zippers fromDiddy Kong Racing appear in both the2001 build and the 2003 build of the canceledDiddy Kong Pilot. In the 2001 build ofDiddy Kong Pilot, they would have acted the same as their original counterparts. The 2003 build ofDiddy Kong Pilot introduces two new types of Zippers. While the yellow and orange/red ones would have acted the same as their original counterpart, the special pink Zippers would spawn chains of themselves in a row if gone through. The final pink Zipper in the chain would lead to a faster and longer "Monkey Power" boost. The black and yellow ones would activate a "Monkey Madness" effect that autopilots the player to the finish/checkpoint line. The game would eventually be repurposed to becomeBanjo-Pilot, and the Zippers were renamedSpeed-Up Rings.[15]
Profiles and statistics[edit]
Super Mario Kart[edit]
- Wii Virtual Console manual:Pass over this for a quick speed boost![page number needed]
Yoshi's Safari[edit]
- Instruction booklet:These are marked with a double chevron on the course. When you pass over these marks, Yoshi will move forward with a burst of speed.[14]
Diddy Kong Racing DS[edit]
- Instruction booklet:Make contact with the zippers on each track to gain a momentary speed burst.[16]
Mario Kart 7[edit]
- Website description:
- English (United States):
Many courses are littered with orange and blue hyperspeed ramps that can send you to top speed via land or air in a flash. A skilled racer will use these to their full advantage to zoom past the competition.
- English (United States):
Mini Mario & Friends: amiibo Challenge[edit]
- Play Nintendo:If you want to give your Mini an extra burst of speed, you can march it up to a Boost Pad and it’ll automatically zip on ahead. Tap the Boost Pad to change the direction of the arrows.[17]
Gallery[edit]
Wario near the two Dash Panels in Royal Raceway inMario Kart 64
Donkey Kong andYoshi on a Dash Panel in Luigi Circuit inMario Kart: Double Dash!!
A Dash Panel inYoshi Falls inMario Kart DS
A Dash Panel inWario Stadium inMario Kart DS
Koopa Troopa near a Dash Panel inBowser's Castle inMario Kart 7
Names in other languages[edit]
| Language | Name | Meaning | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Japanese | ダッシュパネル[?] Dasshu Paneru | Dash Panel | |
| ターボ[18] Tābo | Turbo | Yoshi's Safari | |
| ダッシュプレート[?] Dasshu Purēto | Dash Plate | Mario Kart Tour | |
| Chinese(Simplified) | 冲刺板[?] Chōngcì Bǎn | Sprint Board | |
| Chinese(Traditional) | 衝刺板[?] Chōngcì Bǎn | Sprint Board | |
| Dutch | Sprintpaneel[?] | Sprint Panel | Super Mario 3D World |
| French | Plaque d'accélération[?] | Acceleration plate | |
| Turbo[?] | - | Super Mario Kart | |
| Bande turbo[?] | Turbo stripe | Mario Kart: Double Dash!! | |
| German | Beschleunigungsstreifen[?] | Acceleration strips | |
| Turbofeld[?] | Turbo panel | ||
| Italian | Pannello Acceleratore[?] | Accelerator Panel | |
| Zipper[19] | - | Diddy Kong Racing | |
| Pannello scatto[?] | Dash panel | Mario Kart Tour | |
| Pedana sprint[20] | Sprint footboard | Mini Mario & Friends: amiibo Challenge | |
| Korean | 대시 플레이트[?] Daesi Peulleiteu | Dash Plate | |
| Portuguese | Painel Turbo[?] | Turbo Panel | |
| Portuguese(Brazilian) | Zona Turbo[21] | Turbo Zone | Mario Kart 64 (instruction booklet) |
| Russian | Площадка ускорения[?] Ploshchadka uskoreniya | Acceleration field | |
| Spanish | Panel de Velocidad[?] | Speed Panel | |
| Panel turbo[22] | Turbo Panel |
References[edit]
- ^Grimm, Steven (2003).Mario Kart: Double Dash!! Official Nintendo Player's Guide. ISBN1930206-42-9. Page 31.
- ^2005.Mario Kart DS instruction booklet.Nintendo of America (American English). Page 36.
- ^Hodgson, David S. J. (April 27, 2008).Mario Kart Wii Premiere Edition. American English. ISBN0-7615-5970-1. Page 9.
- ^von Esmarch, Nick (2011).Mario Kart 7 Prima Official Game Guide.Prima Games (American English). ISBN978-0-307-89384-0. Page 46.
- ^abOctober 1992.Nintendo Power Volume 41.Nintendo of America (American English). Page 89.
- ^1992.Super Mario Kart instruction booklet.Nintendo of America (American English). Page 12.
- ^Super Mario Kart Wii Virtual Console Manual. Page 5.
- ^1997.Mario Kart 64 instruction booklet.Nintendo of America (American English). Page 31-32.
- ^Owsen, Dan, Scott Pelland, and Paul Shinoda (1997).Mario Kart 64Nintendo Power Player's Guide.Nintendo of America (American English). Page 59, 67.
- ^Stratton, Bryan and Steve Stratton (August 22, 2001).Mario Kart: Super CircuitPrima Official Game Guide. ISBN0-7615-3709-0. Page 39.
- ^Grimm, Steven (2003).Mario Kart: Double Dash!! Official Nintendo Player's Guide. ISBN1930206-42-9. Page 59.
- ^Nintendo of America (January 16, 2025).Nintendo Switch 2 – First-look trailer.YouTube. Retrieved February 14, 2025.
- ^zather9 (June 6, 2025).I was wondering how the boosters on the open world road were always pointing the right way....Reddit (/r/mariokart). Retrieved June 6, 2025.
- ^ab"Dash Zone" – Nintendo (1993).Yoshi's Safari instruction manual (pdf). Page 14.
- ^Banjo-Pilot manual, page 9
- ^2007.Diddy Kong Racing DS instruction booklet.Nintendo of America (American English). Page 11.
- ^Mini Mario & Friends: amiibo Challenge Items.Play Nintendo. Retrieved April 6, 2020.
- ^Kazuki Motoyama (6 June 1994).Super Mario: Yoshi no Road Hunting 2.KC Deluxe (Japanese). ISBN4-06-319469-8. Page 86.
- ^1997.Diddy Kong Racing Libretto di istruzioni / Manual de instrucciones. Germany:Rare (Italian). Page 22.
- ^Mini Mario & Friends: amiibo Challenge Italian e-manual, section 9
- ^1997.Mario Kart 64 instruction booklet.Gradiente Entertainment Ltda. (Brazilian Portuguese). Page 31.
- ^Guía Captain Toad: Treasure Tracker Spanish guide.www.guiasnintendo.com (Spanish).
- Bowser's Fury objects
- Captain Toad: Treasure Tracker objects
- Diddy Kong Racing
- Mario & Luigi: Paper Jam objects
- Mario & Sonic at the London 2012 Olympic Games
- Mario & Sonic at the Olympic Games
- Mario & Sonic at the Olympic Winter Games
- Mario & Sonic at the Olympic Games Tokyo 2020
- Mario & Sonic at the Sochi 2014 Olympic Winter Games
- Mario Golf: World Tour
- Mario Golf: Super Rush
- Mario Kart 7 objects
- Mario Kart 8 objects
- Mario Kart 64 objects
- Mario Kart: Double Dash!! objects
- Mario Kart DS objects
- Mario Kart: Super Circuit objects
- Mario Kart Tour objects
- Mario Kart Wii objects
- Mario Kart World objects
- Mario Party 9
- Mario Party: Island Tour
- Mini Mario & Friends: amiibo Challenge objects
- Super Mario 3D World objects
- Super Mario Kart objects
- Super Mario Party






