All Mario Kart City Tracks In Mario Kart 8, Ranked Worst To Best

Mario Kart 8 Deluxe has not been left wanting for track variety, especially following the Booster Course Pass’ addition of 48 new tracks, 14 of which are based on real-life cities. These aren’t entirely new tracks, as they originally hail from Mario Kart Tour, the series’ mobile entry, but were revamped for their inclusion in MK8. While seeing real-world locales recreated for a Mario Kart track is endearing, some are significantly more fun to race through than others.

While the city tracks weren’t nearly as exciting as brand-new Booster Course Pass tracks, like Yoshi’s Island and Squeaky Clean Sprint, they did bring some novelty to Mario Kart 8. Their key design feature is each lap being different, often sending racers in the opposite direction on a street they have already traversed, adding to the chaos. It’s a track design that could make a comeback in Mario Kart 9, but would hopefully shirk the current city tracks’ lackluster visuals for the dense, high-quality environments the series is known for.

14
New York Minute – United States

Booster Course Pass Wave 2

New York Minute was one of the first city tracks released for Mario Kart 8. The course is very simple, with not many obstacles in the way and only a few shortcuts available – the best one being on the first lap by turning left soon after starting the race and using the ramp to fly on top of the bus and get a double Item Box. The track has taxis driving around to avoid, and a few Goombas walking in the park. Apart from the bright atmosphere of the shop advertisements, New York Minute is relatively easy and basic in terms of driving.

13
Tokyo Blur – Japan

Booster Course Pass Wave 1

Tokyo Blur has three laps, with the first two being quite similar, the only difference being a few turns. Compared to other city tracks, Tokyo Blur is very basic, with little imagination beyond racing through plain city streets. Although there are plenty of opportunities to grab Item Boxes, there are not many shortcuts or Dash Panels to gain extra speed on. The track could have showcased more of Tokyo’s iconic landmarks, instead of a simple road with not many obstacles; more natural elements of Tokyo could have been featured, showing the variety Japan has to offer.

12
Sydney Sprint – Australia

Booster Course Pass Wave 2

Sydney Sprint offers some famous landmarks and locations, such as the Sydney Opera House, Sydney Harbor Bridge and Luna Park. However, the course is very straightforward and doesn’t provide much opportunity for extra speed boosts or shortcuts. The track is sectioned into three parts, with the second starting in the opposite direction to the others. A lot of the course has winding roads, but it does not present much difficulty. The best area is in the final section, where racers glide into the Sydney Opera House and drive through.

11
Paris Promenade – France

Booster Course Pass Wave 1

The first two laps in Paris Promenade are the same, but then switches around on section three, letting players drive in the opposite direction and loop back. It is a simple track, with not many shortcuts available. The course mainly features The Eiffel Tower which players drive around. However, many of the other famous landmarks it features only make a small appearance by being seen in the background. Having racers drive through The Louvre or Notre Dame Cathedral would provide much more variety and capture other elements of the city.

10
London Loop – England

Booster Course Pass Wave 3

London Loop is a long track in comparison to other city courses. Lap one and two take place clockwise, but then it switches to counterclockwise for lap three. Although the course shows many iconic landmarks, such as Big Ben and the London Eye, there is one important feature missing, the London Underground. The background of the race focuses more on an old-fashioned design, rather than modern elements. Having players be able to drive into the underground, or use it as a shortcut, would add more variety and show the more up-to-date city.

9
Vancouver Velocity – Canada

Booster Course Pass Wave 5

Vancouver Velocity doesn’t just take racers through famous landmarks, but it also features more natural parts of Vancouver. The second and third laps take racers through the icy Rogers Arena, where ice skating Shy Guys provide moving obstacles. Despite the scenic view, the track isn’t hard, as it’s mostly driving on flat road. If Vancouver Velocity were to be remade, Nintendo could add more difficulty by getting players to race on mountains or on maple trees, like the Booster Course Pass Wave 3’s Maple Treeway course.

8
Madrid Drive – Spain

Booster Course Pass Wave 6

Madrid Drive uses traditional Spanish flamenco music as its soundtrack through acoustic guitar and claps. Players get to drive on Plaza Mayor with a large Wiggler in the center which must be driven around. The course ends with racers going through Santiago Bernabéu Stadium with Shoe Goombas and soccer balls bouncing around. The track takes a different route each lap, showcasing many famous landmarks and letting players experience something new in each section. With Dash Panels spread throughout and Thwomps to avoid, Madrid Drive has variety and a catchy soundtrack.

7
Amsterdam Drift – The Netherlands

Booster Course Pass Wave 4

Amsterdam Drift is filled with variety, featuring different landscapes and iconic pieces of The Netherlands. Players race through the streets of Amsterdam, weaving between trams and using Dash Panels for speed. There is a large section of driving underwater in the canals, with water shooting up that can be used to get a boost. The final lap takes place in a tulip field, with a tight road and Piranha Plants trying to chomp racers away. Although it has more traditional features of The Netherlands with its windmills and tulips, it is a course that offers something new each lap.

6
Singapore Speedway – Singapore

Booster Course Pass Wave 4

Although the other city tracks feature famous landmarks from the cities it is based on, Singapore Speedway is one of the few courses that is modeled closely to its real-life counterpart – Central Area in Singapore. A majority of the race is set in the sky, where players can use the glider and get boosts of speed through the hoops, as well as pick Item Boxes up along the way. The course offers a fun and scenic race, with shortcuts and an area that has Innertube Goombas in an infinity pool.

5
Los Angeles Laps – United States

Booster Course Pass Wave 5

Unlike the other courses, each section of Los Angeles Laps takes place in a different part of the city, so each lap has its own finish line in a different position. This provides variety when racing, as players can experience driving on different terrain including sand, mud, water, and a regular road. In the third section, racers speed through Inglewood Oil Field, which features large metal beams crashing down that must be avoided. Los Angeles Laps is one of the most diverse city tracks, and provides plenty of opportunities for speed boosts from Dash Panels and Item Boxes.

4
Athens Dash – Greece

Booster Course Pass Wave 5

Rather than focusing on specific landmarks found in the city, Athens Dash uses the ruins of ancient Athens as a background. The track’s bumpiness gives racers chances to jump and get speed boosts when driving over rubble and fallen pillars. Athens Dash has rotating Item Boxes which players must weave between columns to grab. In the final lap, there is a DK Mountain style hill with Dash Panels scattered on it, where boulders drop and roll down for players to dodge.

3
Bangkok Rush – Thailand

Booster Course Pass Wave 4

This course is more complex than the other city tracks, with different shortcuts and heights to race on throughout. Players can drive on top of the umbrellas from the Night Market Ratchada and get extra speed boosts from jumping off the boats in the first lap. One of the best parts of the course is on lap three, where racers drive up and into a multi-storied building, needing to turn perfectly to the left while driving. Bangkok Rush is a little difficult to navigate at first, but has many shortcuts and opportunities for speed boosts as well as a scenic view of Bangkok.

2
Rome Avanti – Italy

Booster Course Pass Wave 6

Rome Avanti has many notable features, such as the Colosseum, Spanish Steps, Trevi Fountain, Villa Borghese, and small alleyways to wind through. The course has a mix of tight turns and wider roads with roundabouts and fountains to navigate around. There is also a variety of terrain to drive on. From cobbled streets, dirt in the park and many Glide Panels to allow racers to fly over landmarks and pick up extra speed through the hoops. Rome Avanti also features many characters from the franchise throughout, like Chain Chomps, Monty Moles and Fuzzies to dodge.

1
Berlin Byways – Germany

Booster Course Pass Wave 3

Germany is associated with techno and classical music, and the soundtrack mixes both to create an upbeat and catchy tune. The course has cars and trucks to avoid on the road, as well as Whomps and Thwomps trying to flatten racers spread throughout. There are a variety of shortcuts available, such as going through the train on lap one or using the Dash Panels located on the side of the course in between pillars. With tight turns, plenty of Item Boxes available and famous landmarks seen throughout, Berlin Byways is catchy and fun, making it the best Mario Kart 8 Deluxe city track.