Hyrule Circuit
- This article is about the race course fromMario Kart 8. For its musical theme, seeOverworld Theme (The Legend of Zelda) § Mario Kart 8 / Mario Kart 8 Deluxe.
| Hyrule Circuit | |||||||||||||||
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| Appears in | Mario Kart 8 (DLC Pack 1) (2014) Mario Kart 8 Deluxe (2017) | ||||||||||||||
| Cup | Triforce Cup | ||||||||||||||
| Based on | The Legend of Zelda | ||||||||||||||
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Hyrule Circuit is a race course included withThe Legend of Zelda ×Mario Kart 8 downloadable content inMario Kart 8 and in the base content ofMario Kart 8 Deluxe, and is the fourth and final course of theTriforce Cup. Hence the name, this course is based onThe Legend of Zelda series. This track sports several references to the franchise, such as havingRupees replacecoins,Deku Babas replacePiranha Plants, andKeese replaceSwoops. Several sound effects from the firstThe Legend of Zelda game are also used, while the song references several songs from throughout the series.
Course layout[edit]
The track starts inHyrule Field, as it zigzags through a grassy area. Severalramps can be found here, before a gliding pad that sends the player intoHyrule Castle. After a spiral downwards, the player arrives in a grand hall with theMaster Sword resting in thePedestal of Time. The routes split at the sword, before merging directly afterward. After a jump out the back of the castle, the player lands in a small village before going through a valley withDeku Babas andKeese. After a final jump, the player reaches theFinish Line.
Shortcuts[edit]
- In the field, a mushroom can be used to cut through the zigzags.
- Before the Master Sword are three crystals that give spin-boosts. If all three are touched by any player within the time limit, aDash Panel ramp opens up before the Master Sword, allowing the player to jump into it. The sword itself acts as aSpin Boost Pillar. The crystal switches can also be activated by thrown items andLightning.
- After exiting the castle, aDash Mushroom can be used across the grass to cut off a turn.
The Legend of Zelda references[edit]
As this course is based uponThe Legend of Zelda franchise, it also features various references to those games. They are listed below:
- Coins are replaced withRupees.
- Soldiers as portrayed inThe Legend of Zelda: Spirit Tracks can be seen near the starting line.
- Two standard course enemies,Swoops andPiranha Plants, are replaced by theirThe Legend of Zelda equivalents: Keese and Deku Babas respectively. The Deku Babas change their location several times over the duration of the race.
- When a player runs into anItem Box and obtains an item, the sound it plays is the jingle when opening abig treasure chest inThe Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time.
- Death Mountain, with its familiar circular smokestack, can be seen towering over the treeline in the south of the course. It can easily be seen just after exiting the Master Sword chamber.
- EachMedallion found inThe Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time can be seen on the stained-glass windows in the Master Sword chamber.
- A sign in the village part of the course has the face ofBeedle on it, a recurring shopkeeper inThe Legend of Zelda series. The sign also has text written inHylian, as seen inThe Legend of Zelda: A Link Between Worlds; when translated, it reads "Item Shop".
- Hitting the three anti-gravity switches on the castle staircase will trigger the "puzzle solving" tune inThe Legend of Zelda series as the Master Sword rises from its pedestal. The switches can also be triggered by a boomerang as they can in many games.
- The background music is a remixed medley ofThe Legend of Zelda music, starting with the series' main theme, followed by small excerpts ofZelda's Lullaby and Hyrule Field's theme fromThe Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time. It also incorporates a brief segment from Hyrule Field's theme fromThe Legend of Zelda: Twilight Princess.
Mario Kart 8 Original Soundtrack liner notes[edit]
"I wanted to arrange this in a way that would only be in Mario Kart. I've scattered a number of motifs from The Legend of Zelda series throughout the track, so I hope you'll enjoy listening out for them. Oh, and don't miss the scorching guitar solo at the end!"
Gallery[edit]
The course icon
The full course icon
Results screen
The course, as seen from the starting line
The only portion of the track that uses the glider
Rosalina approaches the castle's interior
The forest portion of the track. Deku Babas and Keese are encountered there
Link turning the corner before the anti-gravity section
Link turning a corner on the Master Cycle
Link showing off his sword with the castle in the background
The stamp for this course
Naming[edit]
Internal names[edit]
| Game | File | Name | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| Mario Kart 8/Mario Kart 8 Deluxe | Du_Hyrule | DLCU Hyrule |
Names in other languages[edit]
| Language | Name | Meaning | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Japanese | ハイラルサーキット[1] Hairaru Sākitto | Hyrule Circuit | |
| Chinese(Simplified) | 海拉鲁赛道[1] Hǎilālǔ Sàidào(Mandarin) Hóilāailóuh Choidouh(Cantonese) | Hyrule Racetrack | |
| Chinese(Traditional) | 海拉魯賽道[1] Hǎilālǔ Sàidào(Mandarin) Hóilāailóuh Choidouh(Cantonese) | Hyrule Racetrack | |
| Dutch | Hyrule-Circuit[1] | Hyrule Circuit | |
| French | Circuit d'Hyrule[1] | Hyrule Circuit | |
| German | Hyrule-Piste[1] | Hyrule Track | |
| Italian | Circuito di Hyrule[1] | Hyrule Circuit | |
| Korean | 하이랄 서킷[1] Hairal Seokit | Hyrule Circuit | |
| Portuguese | Circuito de Hyrule[1] | Hyrule Circuit | |
| Russian | Трасса Хайрула[1] Trassa Khayrula | Hyrule Track | |
| Spanish | Circuito de Hyrule[1] | Hyrule's Circuit |
Notes[edit]
- This is one of four courses in theMario Kart series to change the sound of theItem Box roulette; the others areWaluigi Pinball,Animal Crossing, andUrchin Underpass.
- This is the only course inMario Kart 8 Deluxe to have the same racer and vehicle combination for the 150cc and 200cc staff ghosts.
