Mario Kart ULTIMATE

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Mario Kart ULTIMATE

The boxart, by Yoshifraga97 ^(t∣b∣c)

Developer(s)

Comet Gaming, Inc.

Publisher(s)

Comet Gaming, Inc.

Platform(s)

The Future Nintendo

Genre(s)

Racing

Series

Mario Kart

Predecessor

Mario Kart 7

Successor

Mario Kart Comet

Release Date(s)

Japan: June 27, 2013
Europe: July 5, 2013
North America: July 7, 2013
Australia: July 12, 2013

Mode(s)

Single Player, Multiplayer (2-4), Online Multiplayer (2-24)

Age Rating(s)

Media Included

Future Nintendo Disc

Mario Kart ULTIMATE is a kart racing game for the Future Nintendo made by Comet Gaming, Inc. It is the eighth installment in the Mario Kart series. It was released during the early summer of 2013 in all regions. The game is based on Mario Kart: Double Dash and Mario Kart Wii mostly, with some basis from the other titles. Most notable among its features is the return of two players per kart.

Gameplay

Returning Elements

Gameplay will be similar to previous installments. It brings back tracks from each Mario Kart game. It brings back the Poison Mushroom, which was only used in Super Mario Kart. Two people in a kart from Mario Kart: Double Dash!! returns as well, being unlockable for later use. It also has the kart format of each player having their own karts at their disposal from Mario Kart DS, instead of having to use karts shared by the character's size class. Gliding returns, though underwater doesn't. Gliding can be activated by using a blue ramp, or instantly with a P-Wing, which is Koopa Troopa and Paratroopa's special item. Speaking of special items, they also return from Double Dash!!, each pair having their own. Also, similar to Mario Kart Wii, up to four players can simultaneously play VS, Battle, or go online.

New Elements

There are many new elements in this game. Firstly, four new cups have been added to accomodate retro courses, and this is the first Mario Kart where DLC will be usable. This game sports the greatest number of characters (49) and items (35). There are also several new modes, listed below. This game also introduces tire pressure and gas as a factor. If a flat tire occurs (by a sudden collison or bumpy and jagged road), Lakitu will stop the player briefly to change their tire out. If the player's gas meter drops and he/she hasn't found one of the fifty gas tanks scattered around the course, Lakitu will also stop him/her to refill them. Also, this is the first game where the number of people in a race can vary. There can be 8, 12, 16, or 24 racers on the track at a single time. In Double Dash mode, 8 and 12 are not usable and 16 and 24 feature 8 and 12 karts, respectively.

Controls and Techniques

There are many techniques in the game, all of which can be performed using The Future Nintendo's vertasile controller, which can morph into seventeen different forms, but only the main one is used in Mario Kart ULTIMATE.

Basic

Accelerate: A
Brake: B
Reverse: Hold B
Steer: Move the control stick.
Look Back: ZL
Drift: R
Mini-Turbo: Drift long enough for blue sparks to appear, then orange, then red.
Switch Characters (Double Dash): ZR
Items: L
Glide: Use a P-Wing or get on a blue ramp and move the control stick.
Trick: Shake the controller.

Advanced

Rocket Start: Press and hold A as the countdown before the race gets to 2 (3, 2 (push here), 1, GO!
Tricks: Shake the controller on a jump.
Double Dash: In two-player co-op, have both players do a rocket start. The effect will double.
Slipstream: Stay behind an opponent long enough to get a speed boost by drafting.

Game Modes

Grand Prix (1 player)

There are 12 cups in all. There are 6 new cups and 6 retro cups, the latter featuring 3 tracks from Super Mario Kart, 64, Super Circuit, and DS, and four tracks from Double Dash!!, Wii, and 7. Each cup has four tracks. Grand Prix is played in Single Dash mode, which has one person on a kart, and Double Dash mode (unlocked later) where two people can go on a kart. And, the first time since Mario Kart: Double Dash!!, Grand Prix can be played in multiplayer, with up to four people. Grand Prix can be played in four different modes: 50cc (easy), 100cc (medium), 150cc (hard), and Mirror (flipped courses, expert).

Double Dash

Double Dash is unlocked when all of the characters have been unlocked. It is playable in Grand Prix, VS, Battle, and Online, but not in Time Trials. There are two in a kart: one drives, and one handles the items. Double Item Boxes will also return, giving both players an item. The two racers can switch at any time. In multiplayer, there is also co-op mode where the two players are in the same kart and collaborate.

GP Unlockables

Mode	Criteria
Mirror	Win all 150cc cups.
Double Dash	Unlock every character.

Point Spread Comparison

There are modes in this game with 8, 12, 16, and 24 karts at once, meaning that the point spread will vary.

	1st	2nd	3rd	4th	5th	6th	7th	8th	9th	10th	11th	12th
SMK, 64, and SC	9	6	3	1	0	0	0	0	N/A	N/A	N/A	N/A
DD and DS	10	8	6	4	3	2	1	0	N/A	N/A	N/A	N/A
Wii and MKU 12-player	15	12	10	8	7	6	5	4	3	2	1	0
7 and MKU 8-player	10	8	6	5	4	3	2	1	N/A	N/A	N/A	N/A
MKU 16-player	24	20	16	12	11	10	9	8	7	6	5	4
MKU 24-player	30	25	22	20	19	18	17	16	15	14	13	12

	13th	14th	15th	16th	17th	18th	19th	20th	21th	22nd	23rd	24th
MKU 16-player	3	2	1	0	N/A	N/A	N/A	N/A	N/A	N/A	N/A	N/A
MKU 24-player	11	10	9	8	7	6	5	4	3	2	1	0

Time Trials (1 Player)

The player can choose any track to race on and they can try to beat their time. There are two staff ghosts on a course, easy ghosts and hard ghosts. The player can save up to eleven of their own and they can have a race with other peoples' ghosts, similarly to Mario Kart 7. Racers met online can also be added to the ghost list. The player can also view the worldwide, regional, or local rankings for a course.

VS (1-4 players)

It's completely new. The player can alter the race tracks or even create his/her own, and then race in them. It can also be played the classic way, too, though. In Classic VS, the player can pick the number of racers (8-24), the engine size, the items used, the CPU difficulty, what CPU players are playing as, the number of races, and the tracks played.

Track Editor

Whether the player is using an existing track or creating one, Mario Kart ULTIMATE's track editor has it all. It has twenty-two different track tiles and forty-one different backgrounds. Obstacles such as Goombas and Mushroom platforms can be added too. Weird twists can be added such as items everywhere which can make tracks more fun to play. Creations and modifications can be saved and published in an online library.

Battle (1-4 players)

There are five modes of battle, two new. Most can be played in individual or team modes, except for a few. In team mode, the ability to pick teammates debuts.

Balloon Battle: This is the classic mode the player has to use items to pop all five of the opponent's balloons. If there is only one person or one team left, then they win, reverting to the pre-Mario Kart Wii format. This can be played in single mode or team mode.
Coin Runners: The players run around the stage to collect as many coins as possible before time runs out (five minutes). This can be played in both single and team mode.
Shine Thief: Like in Mario Kart: Double Dash!!, the players have to get a Shine Sprite and hold it for as long as possible until the timer (one minute) runs out. This can be played in both single and team mode.
Boss Battle: Two teams take on two separate bosses in an enclosed area. The bosses are Mecha Bowser from Super Mario Galaxy and a large ROB. The bosses always have fifty lives and whichever team beats their boss first wins. Small items (shells, Bob-ombs, etc.) count for one point. Powerful items count for two points, and special items count for three. Non-offensive weapons are not used. This must be played in teams.
Demolition Derby: Like balloon battle without balloons. The players must go around hitting people without items and do as much damage as possible. Each player has fifty lives, similarly to Boss Battle, and the items do the same damage. The last person standing wins. This can't be played in teams.

Minigames (1 player)

The player can visit the minigame plaza where there are three minigames open to play. Characters and cars can be unlocked by beating these. High scores can be submitted onto an online leaderboard.

Shell Toss: The player is given sixteen Green Shells in an enclosed area. Goombas will drop from the sky, along with item boxes that automatically give two more shells when touched. There is a one-minute timer. The player has to hit as many Goombas as possible.
Galaxy Hunt: The player starts on the Comet Observatory, where Rosalina (Luma if Rosalina is being used) tells him/her that she has hidden twenty large Star Bits around the observatory (appearing like in the battle course). The player must find them as quickly as possible.
Kart Golf: The player starts on a Par 3 golf course, where the kart has a club built on the right side. It has star power, used for hitting the ball great distances. The player must finish this hole, a Par 4, and a Par 5 (all taken from Mario Golf: Toadstool Tour) with the least amount of strokes possible.

Online (1-4 players)

The player can connect online with as many as three other people and pick Local, Regional, or International. The maximum for online races is 24 people per race, but they can pick 12, too. Hackers and cheaters are not allowed online, and their Future Nintendo can be blocked from the game's online if one of the Nintendo moderators catches them. Battle is also playable along with VS (regular) and Grand Prix.

Mario Kart Channel

Like in Mario Kart Wii and Mario Kart 7, this game will feature a Mario Kart Channel. It has several functions.

Ghost Race: Like in Mario Kart Wii, the player can race a random ghost from a random course, though its time is usually around the player's record.
Rankings: The player can access rankings for tournaments and courses in time trials.
Social Plaza: If the player wants to add friends, they can go to the plaza, where they will race against a random person who is also there. If the player wants to, they can add that person as a friend.
Friends: Here the player can see their friends, access their ghosts, and challenge one to an online race.
Tournaments: Like in Mario Kart Wii, semi-monthly tournaments exist, with altered race courses being a challenge for the player, who must get the best time in the course.
Library: The player can play their created tracks from VS and post them online if they want to.
DLC: The DLC shop is open, where the player can buy characters or cups for $1.00 and $1.50, respectively.

Playable Characters

There are forty-nine characters, each (not including DLC) with a partner. Twelve are already unlocked, twelve are unlockable, and twenty-five can be purchased for $1.00 each with DLC. There are three weight classes: Light, Medium and Heavy. Light characters have high acceleration and handling, while heavy characters have high speed and weight. Medium characters have all-around stats. Each pair of characters has their own special item, while DLC characters can use any special item, much like King Boo and Petey Piranha in Mario Kart: Double Dash!!, making all twenty-five powerful characters.

Starting Characters

There are twelve starting characters.

Name	Partner	Weight Class	Special Item
Mario	Luigi	Medium	Mega Mushroom
Luigi	Mario	Medium	Mega Mushroom
Yoshi	Birdo	Medium	Yoshi Egg
Birdo	Yoshi	Medium	Birdo Egg
Peach	Daisy	Light	Heart
Daisy	Peach	Light	Heart
Wario	Waluigi	Heavy	Bob-omb
Waluigi	Wario	Heavy	Bob-omb
DK	Diddy Kong	Heavy	Giant Banana
Diddy Kong	DK	Light	Giant Banana
Bowser	Bowser Jr.	Heavy	Bowser Shell
Bowser Jr.	Bowser	Light	Bowser Shell

Unlockable Characters

As the player progresses in the game, more characters will become unlocked. There are twelve, with four in each class. Kamek and Kamella see their Mario Kart debut, along with Luma, who is placed in Medium because there wasn't enough room to put him in light. Koopa Troopa and Koopa Paratroopa are also in Medium, but this was because Bowser had all of the Troop fitted with heavy shells. Surprisingly, Bowser Jr. is in Light because he already had a spiked shell, so Bowser didn't need to change it.

Name	Partner	Class	Special Item
Toad	Toadette	Light	Poison Mushroom
Toadette	Toad	Light	Poison Mushroom
Baby Mario	Baby Luigi	Light	POW Block
Baby Luigi	Baby Mario	Light	POW Block
Koopa Troopa	Paratroopa	Medium	P-Wing
Koopa Paratroopa	Koopa Troopa	Medium	P-Wing
Petey Piranha	King Boo	Heavy	Boo
King Boo	Petey Piranha	Heavy	Boo
Kamek	Kamella	Medium	Magic Wand
Kamella	Kamek	Heavy	Magic Wand
Rosalina	Luma	Heavy	Launch Star
Luma	Rosalina	Medium	Launch Star

Unlocking Criteria

Name	Criteria
Baby Mario	Win the 150cc Blooper Cup.
Baby Luigi	Unlock 4 expert staff ghosts.
Toad	Win the 50cc Star Cup.
Toadette	Get a star rank in all of the 50cc New Grand Prix Cups.
Koopa Troopa	Finish with at most a par overall in Kart Golf.
Paratroopa	Win the 50cc Special Cup.
Petey Piranha	Unlock 32 expert staff ghosts.
King Boo	Win the 100cc Leaf Cup.
Kamek	Win the Mirror Boo Cup.
Kamella	Get a star rank in all of the 100cc Retro Grand Prix Cups.
Rosalina	Win the 50cc Lightning Cup.
Luma	Unlock all 48 expert staff ghosts.

DLC

There are thirteen characters purchasable from the DLC shop for $1.00 each. These consist of four of each weight class plus the Mii, which varies based on its settings. DLC characters do not have a partner or special item, but can use any.

Name	Picture	Weight Class
Baby Peach		Light
Shy Guy		Light
Dry Bones		Light
Lakitu		Light
Noki		Medium
Wiggler		Medium
Hammer Bro.		Medium
Dixie Kong		Medium
Dry Bowser		Heavy
Pianta		Heavy
Funky Kong		Heavy
Boom Boom		Heavy

Outfit Changes

All characters have two outfit swaps. The first change can be used when two star ranks have been achieved for all cups and the second for three stars.

Name	Change 1	Change 2
Mario	Fire Mario	Ice Mario
Luigi	Fire Luigi	Waluigi outfit
Yoshi	Cyan Yoshi	Pink Yoshi
Birdo	Cyan Birdo	Green Birdo
Peach	Daisy Dress	Biker Outfit
Daisy	Peach Dress	Biker Outfit
Wario	Mario	Waluigi
Waluigi	Luigi	Wario
DK	Diddy Kong	Funky Kong
Diddy Kong	Funky Kong	Donkey Kong
Bowser	Mecha Bowser	Dry Bowser
Bowser Jr.	Mecha Bowser Jr.	Dry Bowser Jr.
Toad	Blue Toad	Green Toad
Toadette	Blue Toadette	Green Toadette
Baby Mario	Fire Baby Mario	Ice Baby Mario
Baby Luigi	Fire Baby Luigi	Ice Baby Luigi
Koopa Troopa	Red Koopa	Blue Koopa
Paratroopa	Green Paratroopa	Blue Paratroopa
Petey Piranha	Dino Piranha	Peewee Piranha
King Boo	Mansion Boo	Normal Boo
Rosalina	Purple Dress	Biker Outfit
Luma	Blue Luma	Red Luma
Kamek	Purple Robe	Green Robe
Kamella	Blue Robe	Green Robe
Baby Peach	Baby Daisy Dress	Biker Outfit
Baby Daisy	Baby Peach Dress	Bike Outfit
Baby Wario	Baby Mario	Baby Waluigi
Baby Waluigi	Baby Luigi	Baby Wario
Baby DK	Diddy Kong	Funky Kong
Shy Guy	Blue Shy Guy	Green Shy Guy
Dry Bones	Green Dry Bones	Blue Dry Bones
Lakitu	Blue Shelled Lakitu	Yellow Shelled Lakitu
Larry Koopa	Red Hair	Green Hair
Wendy O. Koopa	Blue Accessories	Purple Accessories
Noki	Red Noki	Purple Noki
Wiggler	Angry Wiggler	Sunshine Wiggler
Hammer Bro.	Fire Bro.	Sledge Bro.
Boomerang Bro.	Ice Bro.	Sumo Bro.
Dixie Kong	Tiny Kong	Biker Outfit
Tiny Kong	Dixie Kong	Biker Outfit
Dry Bowser	Dry Jr. (Shrunken Body)	Bowser Mask
Pianta	Red Pianta	Purple Pianta
Funky Kong	Donkey Kong	Diddy Kong
Lubba	Blue Luma	Red Luma
Boom Boom	Blue Shelled Boom Boom	Pom Pom Shell
Pom Pom	Blue Shelled Pom Pom	Boom Boom Shell
Ludwig Koopa	Red Hair	Green Hair
Metal Mario	Gold Mario	Silver Mario

Stat Bonuses

Characters have stat bonuses for some categories that make their kart slightly better by how many it says. For example, if Bowser Jr. was driving, his kart would be six points faster than normal.

Name	Speed	Weight	Accel	Handling	Drift	Off-road
Toad	2	-	-	2	6	-
Toadette	-	-	-	4	2	6
Bowser Jr.	6	2	3	-	-	-
Peach	-	4	-	2	3	-
Daisy	5	5	-	-	-	4
Diddy Kong	-	-	4	4	2	3
Baby Mario	-	3	5	-	-	4
Baby Luigi	5	3	2	-	-	-
Baby Peach	-	4	3	-	-	2
Baby Daisy	3	-	2	4	5	-
Baby Wario	-	5	-	4	2	-
Baby Waluigi	2	-	4	2	-	3
Baby DK	2	2	-	-	2	6
Shy Guy	-	-	5	2	3	-
Lakitu	2	-	2	4	-	-
Dry Bones	-	-	-	3	-	5
Mario	5	6	-	-	-	-
Luigi	5	6	-	-	-	-
Yoshi	3	3	2	-	-	-
Birdo	3	3	-	-	6	2
Koopa Troopa	-	-	6	4	-	-
Paratroopa	-	-	6	4	-	-
Kamek	5	-	3	-	6	5
Luma	4	-	6	2	-	-
Larry Koopa	-	2	-	-	3	3
Wendy O. Koopa	-	4	-	3	-	5
Noki	3	-	2	-	6	-
Wiggler	-	6	4	2	-	-
Hammer Bro.	2	-	2	4	-	2
Boomerang Bro.	-	-	6	-	6	-
Dixie Kong	2	-	5	-	2	-
Tiny Kong	3	4	-	-	-	3
Donkey Kong	-	-	2	4	2	-
Bowser	2	5	-	-	-	5
Wario	-	4	2	4	-	-
Waluigi	3	-	2	-	5	4
King Boo	3	-	5	3	6	2
Petey Piranha	-	4	-	2	1	-
Kamella	4	2	3	2	-	3
Rosalina	3	-	2	5	-	-
Funky Kong	4	2	-	-	2	-
Dry Bowser	-	-	6	-	3	3
Pianta	-	-	2	-	5	-
Lubba	2	2	5	4	-	3
Boom Boom	-	-	3	3	-	6
Pom Pom	-	-	3	6	-	2
Ludwig von Koopa	-	3	2	-	6	-
Metal Mario	-	4	-	-	5	-
Light Mii	3	3	-	-	3	-
Medium Mii	3	-	3	3	-	3
Heavy Mii	-	-	3	3	-	3

Karts

The game will feature retro karts along with new ones. The feature to create a kart will not be returning from Mario Kart 7, and neither will bikes, but Nintendo assured that the game will still be great without them. As stated earlier, tire pressure and gas will be factors in this game. Gallons of gas are found on the track to refill the tank, which will deplete in an average of two minutes, depending on the car. Large cars tend to use more gas. If the player runs out of gas, then they are given another one and set back ten seconds from the race. Tires can pop from a sudden jolt in the road and Lakitu will stop the player to change their tire.

Each character has two karts, a default one and an unlockable one. DLC-purchased characters do not have their own karts and can use any in their size class. That goes for all characters (being able to use all karts in their class), but the only one that is customized is the Standard Kart. There are four types of kart, like in Mario Kart Wii.

Standard: These have starts closer to the norm for their weight class, all stats usually between 30-50 points out of 80. These consume a tank of gas in about two minutes.
Speed: These have high speed and drift, but poor acceleration and handling. These consume a tank of gas in one and a half minutes.
Terrain: These have high off-road and handling, but poor drift and speed. These consume a tank of gas in two minutes.
Control: These have high acceleration and handling, but poor drift and speed. These consume a tank of gas in two and a half minutes.

Off-road and drifting differ from kart to kart but are usually higher in lighter karts. Also, there is a standard kart for each weight class that is designed similarly to the Standard Kart in Mario Kart Wii. Stats are out of 80.

Karts

Name	Type	Speed	Weight	Accel	Handling	Drift	Offroad
Standard Kart L	St	36	32	49	46	45	42
Standard Kart M	St	41	40	43	41	43	38
Standard Kart H	St	46	48	37	36	41	34
Mario: B Dasher	Sp	58	43	23	25	55	23
Mario: Red Fire	T	32	51	43	55	26	63
Luigi: Streamliner	C	31	39	61	63	35	43
Luigi: Green Fire	T	34	49	41	53	28	65
Peach: Palace Car	C	23	29	64	68	41	38
Peach: Parade Kart	Sp	53	34	34	30	66	28
Daisy: Power Flower	Sp	55	31	29	34	76	28
Daisy: Royal Carriage	St	36	28	46	44	38	48
Yoshi: Egg 1	Sp	61	35	23	19	64	25
Yoshi: Turbo Yoshi	St	35	32	41	44	34	46
Birdo: Birdo Boat	C	23	33	68	66	39	51
Birdo: Turbo Birdo	T	38	29	49	44	30	53
DK: Rambi Rider	T	46	64	53	57	21	58
DK: Safari Car	St	44	51	37	35	39	32
Diddy: Vine Vehicle	St	40	42	38	37	41	35
Diddy: Kong Boat	C	25	31	59	67	41	42
Wario: Power Wower	St	51	50	35	32	42	32
Wario: Wario Car	Sp	71	74	16	12	63	19
Waluigi: Stache Blast	C	41	56	59	52	31	42
Waluigi: Waluigi Racer	Sp	64	58	24	26	67	22
Bowser: King's Kart	C	45	70	53	56	32	29
Bowser: Demolisher	T	48	75	64	47	14	58
Bowser Jr.: Koopa Clown	T	36	31	57	57	35	56
Bowser Jr.: Bat Wing	C	31	26	61	63	40	41
Toad: Mushmellow	St	31	20	53	60	39	47
Toad: Mushmonster	T	22	31	69	74	29	71
Toadette: Big Shroom	T	28	25	70	68	33	68
Toadette: Speed Runner	Sp	56	19	30	26	64	24
B. Mario: Goo Goo Buggy	C	26	16	71	75	40	31
B. Mario: Tiny Titan	T	30	24	50	61	31	71
B. Luigi: Booster Seat	Sp	51	24	22	41	55	30
B. Luigi: Rattle Buggy	St	33	18	39	46	44	51
Koopa: Mini Shell	C	32	29	60	66	40	36
Koopa: Shell Racer	St	46	35	50	51	41	39
Paratroopa: Winged Shell	Sp	51	34	29	29	67	31
Paratroopa: Airplane	St	41	38	36	40	52	41
P. Piranha: Piranha Pipes	T	50	70	63	56	19	60
P. Piranha: Claw	St	55	63	35	34	28	33
King Boo: Boo Pipes	C	41	54	55	60	29	41
King Boo: Flame Flyer	Sp	66	61	19	22	56	16
Kamek: Magic Carpet	Sp	60	38	27	22	24	24
Kamek: Airship	St	47	55	43	50	45	47
Kamella: Magic Jet	Sp	76	63	14	17	39	13
Kamella: Mini Ghost Ship	St	54	66	29	41	41	35
Rosalina: Star Cruiser	C	50	60	56	56	23	33
Rosalina: Comet	T	43	62	62	61	28	60
Luma: Star Bit	C	48	39	59	59	32	35
Luma: Power Star	T	43	44	63	66	30	68

Items

The game introduces many new items. Also, each team of characters has a special item like in Mario Kart: Double Dash!!. The number of people in a race can vary, so there are several categories to describe what place the player gets them in: top, high, middle, low, and bottom. To describe these in 12-racer terms, top would be 1-2, high 3-5, middle 6-8, low, 9-10, and bottom 11-12.

Standard Items (Everyone can use them)

Name	Function	Place Received
Red Shell	Homes in on the player directly ahead.	High
Triple Red Shells	Three red shells orbit around the player, where they can be shot individually.	Middle
Green Shell	Like red shell, but doesn't home in.	Top
Triple Green Shells	Three green shells orbit around the player, where they can shoot them individually.	High
Banana	Makes players skid if they run into it.	Top
Triple Bananas	The player get three bananas, which stay in a bunch behind them where they can be used individually.	High
Mushroom	Gives player a quick speed boost that can be used for cutting off-road.	High
Triple Mushrooms	Three mushrooms that can be used individually.	Low
Blue Shell	Homes in on the player in first, where it causes a huge explosion.	Middle
Hammer (NEW)	Can be thrown ahead and causes small explosion.	High
Fire Flower	Player can shoot fifteen fireballs that make victims spin out.	High
Ice Flower (NEW)	Player can shoot fifteen iceballs that freeze opponents for a second.	Middle
Super Leaf	Gives a tail to whack opponents which lasts for about ten seconds.	High
Bullet Bill	A Bullet carries player at tremendous speed for an average of ten seconds.	Bottom
Golden Mushroom	Gives the player unlimited boosts for ten seconds.	Low
Thunderbolt	Shrinks all of the players temporarily. The last one to revert to normal is the leader.	Bottom
Star	Makes the player invincible temporarily, and they can cut off-road.	Low
Fake Item Box	It looks like an item box but will make players spin out.	Top
Blooper	Sprays ink on all players ahead that lasts for ten seconds or can be taken off by a dash panel or shroom.	Middle
Thunder Cloud	A cloud hovers over the player, gathering energy. It'll shrink them unless they pass it on by touching another player.	Middle

Special Items

Name	Team	Function	Place Received
Mega Mushroom	Mario and Luigi	Makes the player big and he/she can run over opponents to slow them down.	Middle
Heart	Peach and Daisy	Hearts protect the kart from weaker items, like shells (red and green).	High
Egg	Yoshi and Birdo	Acts like a red shell, but when it hits, three items spill out.	High
Bob-omb	Wario and Waluigi	Causes a huge explosion when thrown.	Middle
Giant Banana	DK and Diddy Kong	Releases 3 smaller bananas when hit.	High
Bowser Shell	Bowser and Bowser Jr.	Like a green shell, but a lot bigger.	Middle
Poison Mushroom	Toad and Toadette	Stuns players when thrown and shrinks them like lightning.	Low
POW Block	Baby Mario and Baby Luigi	Makes players ahead spin out as a POW appears above them.	Middle
P-Wing (NEW)	Koopa and Paratroopa	Activates glider and gives it a boost.	Low
Boo	King Boo and Petey Piranha	Makes the player invisible temporarily. They can cut off-road and go through others like ghosts in Time Trials.	Middle
Wand(NEW)	Kamek and Kamella	Sends three bomb-like explosions to players ahead in three separate charges (they are actually Super Mario Bros. 3's king's wands, but they were stolen.	Low
Launch Star (NEW)	Rosalina and Luma	Launches the player at great speed and gives them a random item.	Low

Courses

There are a total of 56 tracks and 14 battle courses. 8 tracks are purchasable from DLC, bringing the number of regular tracks to 48, divided into 12 cups. There are four new cups, the Egg Cup, Boo Cup, Heart Cup, and Blooper cup, made to accommodate all of the retro courses. There are three new circuits, along with a track based on Toy Time Galaxy, a roller coaster, an arena, Peach's Castle, and a Mushroom-Gorge-esque track, to name a few. As with all Mario Karts, this game has a Bowser's Castle, Mario Circuit, and Rainbow Road. Among the retro courses, there are 3 SNES, N64, GBA, and DS, and 4 GCN, Wii, and 3DS, summing up to 24. Fan favorites that return are Yoshi Valley, Sherbet Land, Mushroom City, Neo Bowser City, and Toad's Factory.

Race Courses

There are 48 race courses divided into 12 cups.

Main article: Mario Kart ULTIMATE/Courses

New Courses

These are courses that are new to the Mario Kart series and have not appeared in any other installments.

Mushroom Cup	Flower Cup	Egg Cup

Luigi Circuit	Boo Valley	Shell Desert
Koopa Troopa Shore	Mario Circuit	DK Peak
Toad Park	Toy Time Playroom	Yoshi Circuit
Daisy Island	Peach's Castle	Mushroom Mountain
Boo Cup	Star Cup	Special Cup

Volcanic Park	Icy Cavern	Airship Fleet
Industrial City	Kamella's Ghost Ship	Waluigi Arena
Diddy Kong's Ruins	Mushroom Highway	Bowser's Castle
Star Road	Wario Coaster	Rainbow Road

Retro Courses

These are courses that have appeared in the previous seven Mario Kart series games.

Shell Cup	Banana Cup	Heart Cup

3DS Toad Circuit	GCN Mushroom City	GBA Cheep Cheep Island
Wii Moo Moo Meadows	GBA Riverside Park	SNES Mario Circuit 4
DS Cheep Cheep Beach	3DS Piranha Plant Slide	GCN Sherbet Land
GCN Dry Dry Desert	Wii Toad's Factory	N64 Yoshi Valley
Blooper Cup	Leaf Cup	Lightning Cup

Wii Grumble Volcano	DS Wario Stadium	SNES Vanilla Lake 2
3DS Neo Bowser City	SNES Koopa Beach 1	GCN Wario Colosseum
N64 Royal Raceway	Wii Bowser's Castle	GBA Bowser's Castle 4
DS Mario Circuit	3DS Maka Wuhu	N64 Rainbow Road

Cup Unlocking Criteria

By the way, unlocking a cup in the right column means that that it is open for all engine classes, returning to the Mario Kart: Double Dash!! format.

Cup	Criteria
Boo Cup	Win the 50cc Egg Cup.
Star Cup	Win the 100cc Boo Cup.
Special Cup	Win the 150cc Star Cup.
Blooper Cup	Win the 50cc Heart Cup.
Leaf Cup	Win the 100cc Blooper Cup.
Lightning Cup	Win the 150cc Lightning Cup.

Battle Courses

Mario Kart ULTIMATE features seven new battle courses and seven retro battle courses, for a total of fourteen. The last two in each category are unlockable.

New Battle Courses	Retro Battle Courses
Pumpkin Patch	SNES Battle Course 1
Comet Observatory	N64 Double Deck
Kamek Kasino	GBA Battle Course 2
Peach's Castle	GCN Luigi's Mansion
Wild Savannah	DS Tart Top
Wuhu Island	Wii Delfino Pier
Icy Mountain	3DS Sherbet Rink